Mente daughter: Papa, I love you

MANILA, Philippines — Joey Mente, who dunked his way to fame in the PBA, passed away last Wednesday of lingering illness.

He turned 42 last Feb. 24.

Mente touched a lot of people’s hearts, but none greater than her daughters’ (Ynaah, who’s 17, and Joyce, who’s 13).

Ynaah wrote a touching goodbye letter on her Facebook page.

She described Mente as the “perfect” father and mother rolled into one, and remembered him always telling her to study hard.

“’Yan ‘yung laging sinasabi mo sa akin, Papa (That’s what you always tell me),” Ynaah wrote.

Mente’s eldest daughter dreams of becoming an F.A. (flight attendant), and remembered how her father proudly shared her dream – until the end.

Mente studied and played for Lyceum, and roamed the streets of Intramuros. In 1998, he made it to the MBA, playing for the Iloilo MegaVoltz.

Then in 2001, the big break came. He joined the PBA Draft and was picked by San Miguel Beer at No. 10 in the first round.

Barely 5-10, Mente was crowned Slam Dunk King in 2001, and helped the Beermen win the All-Filipino Conference that year.