NO, I do not have even a drop of Chinese blood in my frail body and people tell me that I look more Korean than Chinese, but because our kababayang Chinoys are still celebrating the Chinese New Year (which officially started yesterday, Feb. 9), my mind wandered back to my “connection” to Filipino-Chinese friends, who, at one time or another, had entered my life and had somehow enriched my journey as a sportswriter.
First in the list, of course, is the controversial Graham Lim, the man some powerful sports officials love to hate. I’ve known (as does Sports Ed Riera Mallari) Graham for years, back when he was still a small-time basketball organizer. He loved the sport like most Filipinos do and played the sport quite well, but what he loved most was organizing basketball events. He soon rose to become an influential basketball official, and as secretary-general of the Basketball Association of the Philippines, managed the day-to-day affairs of the organization.
He became friends with powerful sports leaders in Asia, but back home, he also made some powerful enemies, because Graham did not kowtow to their wishes. He ran the BAP the way he saw fit, and this didn’t sit well with some of the basketball gods in this country.
Graham was later accused as an undesirable alien although he lived all his life here, and was later jailed and deported. His passports were cancelled and up to this day, he is still banned from entering the country.
But what I remember fondly of Graham, who stood as one of the ninongs to my son Aaron (along with Riera, Alvin Patrimonio and Eric Altamirano, among others) was his love for food, which, I think, is his no. 2 passion aside from basketball.
Graham loves to eat, and he loves to share his passion for eating with friends. We have spent countless days scouring restaurants and diners in Binondo, and when not in Binondo, ate chicken, laughed and and swapped stories at KFC.
Graham is now somewhere in Asia, but I am sure that he misses the only country that he calls his own. He will always be loved by his friends, who knew him for what he was and what he stood for.
Next in the list is the equally-controversial Go Teng Kok or GTK, an unforgettable figure in Philippine sports. GTK was president of PATAFA, the track and field and association for many years, but also dipped his hands in the POC politics, which led to his downfall. He stood as one of my sponsors when I married my wife (now ex-wife) before a judge at the Manila City Hall. He still fondly calls me “inaanak” whenever we see each other, which has become rare since he retired.
And then there’s Christian Tan and Tony Fabico, both businessmen and Graham’s close friends and former high school classmates. Christian and Tony stood by their friend when Graham was prosecuted by his enemies and bailed him out when he was out of money. I especially remember Tony, who spent many “unforgettable”nights with us sportswriters. “Sir” Tony also used to gift me with “tikoys’ every Chinese New Year.
I would also like to mention Johny Tam, also a friend of Graham and a trusted associate of both (Customs Commissioner) Bert Lina and (Manila Hotel president) Joey Lina. It’s hard to forget Johny, because he always finds some funny things to say even in the most mundane situations.
There’s also Jean Monteverde, an official of FESSAP, which Graham founded when his enemies kicked him out of basketball. Jean, whose husband is a brother of Mother Lily Monteverde’s husband Remy, owns a restaurant called Magdalo, which, as you can guess, was inspired by the Magdalo group, led by former military man and now senator Antonio Trillanes III.
Last but not least on the list is Edison Villamora, a loud-mouthed but kind-hearted Filipino-Chinese, who lives near Divisoria. Like Graham, Edison organizes events and was quite good in sourcing out sponsors for his events. Edison calls me whenever he needs help with his releases. You can say that I’m his “on-call” writer.
These are some of some of the most unforgettable Chinoy friends I have known in my life, and to them, my hearfelt “Kung hei fat choy” wishes as they celebrate the Chinese New Year, wherever they are.
For reactions, e-mail me at armero_23@yahoo.com