After coming home from Nepal to a hero's welcome from supporters, mountaineers Leo Oracion and Erwin Emata, the first and second Filipinos to climb the summit of Mount Everest, doubt the claim being made by another Filipino adventure sportsman, Dale Abenojar, that he was the first to reach the top of the world's tallest mountain. They said that Abenojar might have climbed another summit. For Oracion and Emata's case, they said the summit they reached, was really on top of the mountain.

They also claimed Abenojar got there too fast, noting that he had been sick for two days, so for him to reach the summit before them was unlikely. Ted Esguerra, the team doctor, also doubted Abenojar's reported feat on May 15. He pointed out that Abenojar was reported to have had no preparation for the climb such as vital acclimatization in a freezing alpine environment, which Oracion, Emata and even Romeo Garduce, the third Filipino that was reported to have successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest, did prior to the climb.