Edwin "Bandido" Reyes Lives On

1on1pooltournys said:
Obviously there are people posting on this forum that think there was a hit put on Edwin and seem to think it had to do with his ideals towards pool in the Philippines. Is it really this much of a corrupt and political issue in their country? I mean I can not imagine somebody in the United States ordering a hit on somebody that wanted pool to succeed because maybe they didn't meet eye to eye. I guess I am just completely in shock that this could happen over pool? Is it that lucrative in the Philippines to organize or run tournaments? What is the purpose in having somebody murdered? The motive?

My condolences go out to his family and his children. I believe that God will see to it that justice prevails here.
Click to expand...

I've seen a couple of shows where you can have somebody professionally murdered in the Phillipines for chump change, like $100 or $200, with little chance of getting caught.

Apparently, contract killings there are on the rise, and this appears to be a professional hit.


Chris
 
Sorry to hear for his family and friends. He was a great artist and loved the game we all love. His work was beautiful.
We will all (whether you believe it or not) reap what we sow, as will those responsible.
 
TATE said:
I've seen a couple of shows where you can have somebody professionally murdered in the Phillipines for chump change, like $100 or $200, with little chance of getting caught.

Apparently, contract killings there are on the rise, and this appears to be a professional hit.


Chris
Click to expand...

Well hopefully those who ordered this tragic and senseless murder will be forever be looking over their own shoulder in fear of the $100 hit taken out on them.
 
I have not in any way suggested who might have orchestrated this heinous crime. Let's be clear on that. Fingers point to a common direction but there is a possibility that it might just be what the mastermind wants - to point fingers on the apparent obvious. The consequence of leaving a pool cue in a fake DHL package is too stupid even just considering the effect of social persecution unless raw, unintelligent and arrogant "untouchable" anger truly prevailed.

This is all I can say: I asked Linds if he knew of any possible non-pool related personal vendetta against Edwin. I also asked the family. Nil. No money owed, no sticky business competition. No land disputes and no unfulfilled business obligations. That leaves it a pool matter unless Edwin kept a tight secret from everybody about some bad blood that he has.

Also, this kind of hit is not just a $100 hit. It had heavy vengeance and it was expensive even in terms of payment of gratitude from the hitman.
 
sputnik said:
I have not in any way suggested who might have orchestrated this heinous crime. Let's be clear on that. Fingers point to a common direction but there is a possibility that it might just be what the mastermind wants - to point fingers on the apparent obvious. The consequence of leaving a pool cue in a fake DHL package is too stupid even just considering the effect of social persecution unless raw, unintelligent and arrogant "untouchable" anger truly prevailed.

This is all I can say: I asked Linds if he knew of any possible non-pool related personal vendetta against Edwin. I also asked the family. Nil. No money owed, no sticky business competition. No land disputes and no unfulfilled business obligations. That leaves it a pool matter unless Edwin kept a tight secret from everybody about some bad blood that he has.

Also, this kind of hit is not just a $100 hit. It had heavy vengeance and it was expensive even in terms of payment of gratitude from the hitman.
Click to expand...
This is very sad news.
I think being too quick to judge it as being billiard related could possibly cause the real murderers to escape. My thoughts are that the
broken cue was a warning to other billiard business people or it was something put there to make the police only look into the billiard world to solve the crime.
 
cueman said:
This is very sad news.
I think being too quick to judge it as being billiard related could possibly cause the real murderers to escape. My thoughts are that the
broken cue was a warning to other billiard business people or it was something put there to make the police only look into the billiard world to solve the crime.
Click to expand...

We can theorize all day long. Sputnik's post pretty much sums it up. The point is that a man who was respected and revered is dead.

The police will look as much as it interests them. I am sure they have plenty of these types of murders to look at every day.

It doesn't help for us to play Perry Mason. Obviously the first gut reaction is to have the most obvious antagonists thrown into a secret CIA prison and interrogated using the latest methods. But we should look to go beyond that and insure that Edwin did not die in vain. His cue making prowess and innovations should be enshrined for all cue makers to use as he was a sharing person in that regard. And his vision for a player controlled union should be maintained and get stronger and stronger.

We will never understand the sickness that the person or persons who orchestrated this senseless murder not the sickness that engulfs the person who pulled the trigger. Even if caught Edwin is gone. What is left is the art he created and the vision he advocated passionately.
 
I sit here dumbfounded in my room thousands of miles away..I lost a friend...NO let me rephrase that, WE, lost a dear friend.

I can barely type anything, what will I say? He was someone you share laughs with, someone who made a cue for a lot of people, and someone you share a bottle of san mig light after a long days tournament.

My condolences to the ones he left.

I will forever treasure the cue that he made for me

.........I still can barely end the words.

we will all miss you...
 
Edwin was my one friend in Manila. This is terrible.

I wish the best for his family and hope is killer gets caught.

Edwin was a great guy.
 
This is terrible news. :frown:

In Russia are familiar with Edwin Reyes creativity too.

My condolences to family and friends.

--------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. What is people such... They are non-people:angry:
Even in gangster disassemblies is a rule - to not touch a craftsmen.
 
sputnik said:
Hello Jay. Edwin will not like it if his murderer wins. Neither will he like it if his tragic death will be used in promotions or in politics. So let me be clear with this... my reaction to your post is neither promotion nor politics...

Let his life be an inspiration in doing what is right. Edwin devoted his last few years to Philippine billiards not because he wanted to earn money. He wanted the Philippines to be a blueprint for other countries to follow. Amidst all the personalities who looked good in the media, Edwin was always in the background ever being that generator of ideas, principles, fairness, procedures, design, strategy and hard work. Let him remain in the background and allow his momentum to steamroll.

Be disgusted, but let it not remain. Be afraid but not intimidated. Philippine pool is not really just Philippine pool. It is a huge part of world pool. That was how Edwin saw it. So please support all movements toward pool development in any country by supporting its players.

I cannot stop imagining what Edwin thought of as he saw that gun pulled out. Edwin was strong enough not to have wasted the last few minutes of thoughts that was granted to him in cruelty. The usual way was a bullet in the head but at close range, he was made to live a little. Who had him killed was ruthlessly angry with him and this execution was well thought of. The assassin must have been made to say something but I think Edwin kept his thoughts close to the people he loved.

I knew that Edwin thought of me among others. I was the first one he called a few months ago when he found his father slumped from cardiac arrest. This is why I felt a warm warm embrace in the car just before his wife Nilda called me and all I heard was crying over the phone. At least I knew that the killer was not successful in having him die in misery. Edwin had his thoughts elsewhere. It is not far that he even thought of the forum because it was a part of his life.

When all this disgust is done with, I call on you to heed to John's suggestion in the other thread to perpetuate Edwin's spirit at the forum and through the world of pool which he lived in.

Thank you all.

Martin
Click to expand...

Thanks Martin. I wish I could be as strong as you right now. I still feel numb thinking about my friend. I know what you're telling me is right, but it's hard for me to think about that now. Maybe in a few days I'll be able to think more clearly. Part of me knew that something like this was possible, but I never thought it would actually come to this. This is a very harsh dose of reality. Edwin's death has sent massive shock waves throughout the entire pool community. Everyone in the pool world has been affected by this.
 
Edwin Reyes aka bandido

jay helfert said:
Thanks Martin. I wish I could be as strong as you right now. I still feel numb thinking about my friend. I know what you're telling me is right, but it's hard for me to think about that now. Maybe in a few days I'll be able to think more clearly. Part of me knew that something like this was possible, but I never thought it would actually come to this. This is a very harsh dose of reality. Edwin's death has sent massive shock waves throughout the entire pool community. Everyone in the pool world has been affected by this.
Click to expand...


Rest in peace, Edwin.

Jay, I'm sure that Edwin would want you to continue what you do best, and that is promoting pool. You will do the right thing and that would be being in the thick of things in Manila next month.

My condolences to his family and loved ones.
 
Some pictures of Edwin with friends.
Pics taken the 1st 9-Ball Summit of the Makati Pool Players Association,
February 2009


CSC_5680-1.jpg

Edwin Reyes aka Bandido


DSC_5178-1.jpg

Edwin Reyes with Martin Misa aka Sputnik, Glenn Capacio and Rafael Cusi



DSC_5404-1.jpg

Edwin Reyes & Martina Misa with MAPPA members


DSC_5390-1.jpg

Bandido with Sputnik

.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JAM
sputnik said:
I have not in any way suggested who might have orchestrated this heinous crime. Let's be clear on that. Fingers point to a common direction but there is a possibility that it might just be what the mastermind wants - to point fingers on the apparent obvious. The consequence of leaving a pool cue in a fake DHL package is too stupid even just considering the effect of social persecution unless raw, unintelligent and arrogant "untouchable" anger truly prevailed.

This is all I can say: I asked Linds if he knew of any possible non-pool related personal vendetta against Edwin. I also asked the family. Nil. No money owed, no sticky business competition. No land disputes and no unfulfilled business obligations. That leaves it a pool matter unless Edwin kept a tight secret from everybody about some bad blood that he has.

Also, this kind of hit is not just a $100 hit. It had heavy vengeance and it was expensive even in terms of payment of gratitude from the hitman.
Click to expand...

What you write makes complete sense and, unfortunately, is the sad reality that we all have to accept as it pertains to his tragic murder.

Last year or thereabouts, I was furious when I read about how Alex Pagulayan got banned by the Filipino pool governing body. They said he was sharking his opponent. Meanwhile, the majority who saw the video clip disagreed. There was a huge outrage, and me happening to like Alex Pagulayan a whole bunch, I was one of the loudest forum opponents against this Filipino pool organization. I initiated threads on this forum, as well as WorldPoolChampionship.com, expressing my outrage in words. There were others who thought Alex received a bum deal too.

Edwin replied to my posts and eventually sent me a few private messages. He was so gentlemanly, if I may use that word, in addressing some of the key points of my opinions.

What struck me odd then, though, really hits me hard today. He, more or less, stated that I should pull back on writing any more about the Alex Pagulayan situation because there were text messages being sent about it all over Philippines, AND that Alex could be in danger if it continues.

Living in the States where pool is regarded as a gutter rat game played by bums, drug addicts, and con men, I couldn't imagine what Edwin was saying could have any merit. I thought, so what if somebody expresses their opinion about a pool entity. I could never imagine somebody would be murdered because of an opinion about pool.

Edwin was right, and the pool culture is quite different in Philippines. People do have strong feelings about pool. I hope whoever orchestrated this murder of Edwin Reyes is found and dealt with appropriately. The whole thing is senseless, to think somebody could have someone else murdered all because that person had an opinion about the betterment of pool in their country. I'm still in shock.:frown:
 
Last edited:
my deepest sympathies, condolences and prayers for the soul of Edwin Reyes. My deepest anger to those who perpetuated this and may their souls burn in HELL!!!

i was a member of the BSCP group 2006-2007 and resigned 2008. I never thought that it would get to this. i hope that the investigators get to the bottom of this and find out who was involve in this brutal murder, premeditated at that!
 
Huh, this is sick.


Edwin was the closest friend of mine when I spent 5 months in the Philippines at 99-00.

He lived few blocks away from my place and I spent days and days in his workshop watching his mastery. Our friendship started when we met at a local pool hall and he heard me saying I was in a need for a custom butt for my extra shaft. He promised to make me one and little I knew whom I'd met and how good he was.
Later, when we got to know each other more, he made me with some ridiculous payment two cues worth about 4000$, and I played with those many years and will have them on a glass cabinet for the rest of my life (would have done that anyway - those were my first custom cues and I designed them my self, Edwin said I was the first and the last he'll ever let do that..).

I wasn't completely happy of his style how he wrote in these forums in the end, (politics), but it seems now that I didn't know much about the reality there in Phi.
This sickening and shocking news made me not only realize the sickness of some people, but to remember the closeness we had with Edwin back in the days when I was there.

I recall the birthday party at early 2000, many discussions in his workshop and in the pool halls, riding his motor bike etc..

We exchanged lots of e-mails during the early 2000, had re-union at Cardiff at 2003 and again in Phi at WPC 2006 & 07.


I'll post some pics of Edwin and the cues he made for me later when I'll get to my own comp.


All I can say about this tragedy now is, that the style how it was done and the motivation behind it, tells me about some very calculative, bitter, mind. Evil mind. Only some extremely greedy, power oriented, heartless man (men) can do something like this.

I hope the arrogance in the way leads the police behind the murderer(s).
Sputnik wrote that Edwin had moved so no-one's shouldn't have known the address. Not trying to be Mason or Matlock, but if Sputnik is right, there's a clue already.
If he had got some text message's, isn't it another?
The cheap cue probably won't help much, but that's a big sign at least for me about the bitterness (emotionality) behind it. It was not just act of calculation about money or power, but there were some deep personal issues against Edwin obviously also. Well, ok, just out of trying to be objective, of course there always is a chance that's how the mastermind wants us to think, but..

Let's hope the police men has some righteousness in their hearts when they investigate this and let's hope they have the luck and the stamina to find out the criminals behind it.
This would be good, mostly to set up an example for others.
In my heart I know these people will get their punishments and pay their dues, so no matter how long they'll live, in jail or with their (so called) richnesses or 'powers'. First they'll have to live with them selves, that's already a big punsihment. Then they'll have to meet their Maker. And then... ...well, they will see it then...


My condolences to Edwin's beautiful and nice family. I cannot imagine what they go through right now. I had a pleasure to meet them few times, Edwin seemed to be very loving and gentle father and husband.

For us, friends, he appeared extremely generous and helpful. His reminiscence will live long.


-Markus Juva "The European Representative of Edwin Reyes Custom Cues 2000-2006"
 
R.I.P Edwin...

I think we all know who's behind this cowardly act, i hope they get what's coming to them..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top