(UPDATED) Swimmers Angel Mae Otom and Ernie Gawilan, and thrower Evaristo Carbonel delivered on Wednesday as Team Philippines garnered 27 gold medals at the 12th Asean Para Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Otom, 19, claimed her third and fourth gold medal at the Morodok Aquatics Center with a pair of stunning victories in the women's 50m butterfly and freestyle S5 events to become the country’s first quadruple gold medalist.
Her effort was made more meaningful as she set a new Games record of 47.33 seconds in the 50m butterfly after shattering her 48.07 performance last year in Surakarta, Indonesia.
Breathing the same rare air as four-gold winner like Otom was woodpusher Darry Bernardo, who outclassed the men’s standard B2B3 competition by copping the individual mint as well as team alongside Menandro Redor and Arman Subaste.
Bernardo’s earlier triumphs came in rapid individual and team Sunday.
He could emerge as the most be-medalled Filipino athlete, if not the whole of the Games itself, if he could add the individual and team blitz gold medals on Thursday at the Royal University.
Also striking gold were Carbonel (discus throw F11) and Jerold Mangliwan (200m T52) at the Morodok Techo National Stadium while tanker Ernie Gawilan chipped in a gold in the 200m individual medley SM7.
At press time, the Philippines stayed at fifth and already amassed 27 golds, one shy of replicating its 28-gold haul last year.
Gawilan also pocketed the silver medal in the 50m butterfly (34.72), finishing second to Singapore's Wei Soong Toh (30.78). Vietnam's Nguyen Hoang Nha (34.84) was third.
Double-gold medalist Gary Bejino placed second in the men's 50m butterfly S6 event won by Thailand's Aekkarin Noithat (34.48). Boonyarit Payungsakul, also from Thailand, was third (39.02).
Meanwhile, Jesebel Tordecilla got the silver medal in the women's javelin throw F55 with an effort of 13.62 meters .
Vietnam's Ngo Thi Lan won the gold medal (14.27m) while Myanmar's Htet Htet Aye secured the bronze medal (11.68m).
Andrei Kuizon registered 19.03 meters in the men's javelin throw F34-54 to finished second behind Vietnam's Vovan Tung (21.33m). Malaysia's Taufik Nasirdin (13.19m) was third.
Athletics also delivered three bronze medals coming from Cendy Asusano, Jerome Fernandez and Arman Dino.
Asusano, another double-gold winner, finished third in the women's discus throw F54 with an effort of 13.46m.
Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy won the event in 14.43m while her compatriot, Tran Thi Tu was third (13.84m).
Fernandez (24.43) ranked third in the men's 200m T46 behind Indonesia's Figo Saputra (23.39) and Firza Listianto (24.00).
Dino clocked 23.55 seconds to settle for the third place in the men's 200m T47 event.
Nur Ferry Pradana of Indonesia won in 22.36 while his compatriot, Rizal Bagus Saktyono, was second in 22.78.
In the men's javelin throw F55, Joel Balatucan finished fourth (22.05m) behind Kieu Minh Trung of Vietnam (27.00m), Riadi Saputra of Indonesia (25.69m) and Shar Haji Juma'at of Brunei (22.16m).