Mark Cardona’s flood joke sparks backlash, revives scrutiny over past controversies

The women’s empowerment advocate calls the post “a new low” as Cardona’s response and past legal troubles draw renewed attention.

“Aqua training by Cardona.”

Former PBA star Mark Cardona is facing backlash after posting a video joking about the flooding along Gregorio Araneta Avenue in Quezon City, with sports media personality Ceej Tantengco-Malolos calling the post “a new low.”

Tantengco-Malolos criticized Cardona for making light of the flooding while invoking the Ateneo basketball tragedy, saying she was tired of seeing him repeatedly make headlines for incidents involving violence against women.

“If we think of great La Salle players, ang dami dami diyang pagpipilian,” said Tantengco-Malolos, who hosts the podcast “Go Hard Girls” and is an advocate for female athletes. “Ang pagpipilian na hindi nananaksak, hindi nagjojoke about a tragedy involving student athletes…”

She also questioned whether Cardona should continue appearing on teams, vlogs, or endorsements, noting that he remains involved in basketball after being allegedly promoted as an assistant coach in the MPBL.

Cardona initially responded to her post with “I’ll see you in court,” before deleting the comment minutes later.

The backlash also revived scrutiny of Cardona’s previous legal troubles. In March 2026, he was arrested in BGC over allegations of acts of lasciviousness and physical injuries. In 2018, he faced arrests involving a stabbing incident with his live-in partner and an alleged stolen vehicle transaction. He has also publicly discussed a previous mental health crisis and drug overdose.

Once celebrated as La Salle’s “Captain Hook” and a PBA scoring champion, Cardona now finds his name again at the center of controversy. This time, over a joke made while Metro Manila residents are dealing with dangerous flooding.

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