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CHICAGO – I have no idea if Reynel Hugnatan is a stud at the karaoke bar.
But as the search continued for the scoundrel who yelled “lutong mourning na” at the referee during a PBA semifinal game two days ago, the Meralco veteran sang a familiar song popularized by Shaggy.
Was not me.
Then who was?
The PBA is still investigating, but if league investigators shuffle like a euro step, our forward SPIN.ph The correspondent Snow Badua will probably get ahead of them.
Badua, a bold and bombastic scribe, has an army of informants whom he affectionately calls “kuligligs.” And somewhere in that lonely and desolate bubble in the city of Angeles, a loose lip will eventually whisper the name of the culprit.
After all, nothing weighs conscience more than the weight of a lewd secret.
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If and when the fugitive interceptor is brought to justice, the PBA, according to league sources who spoke with SPIN.ph, will be sanctioned “not different from the fines imposed on the players who complain about the calls.”
The report also added that the final award is in the powerful hands of Commissioner Willie Marcial.
I am a huge fan of Kume. I’ve often praised his dizzying rise from the humble guy in a shirt to the big guy in a tailored suit and a fancy leather swivel chair.
But I’m also one of his sharpest critics, especially in the case of Calvin Abueva where I thought it was unfair. unfairly harsh by suspending ‘The Beast’ for 16 months, taking away his livelihood and a precious part of his prime.
In this case, however, I want Marcial to break something when he hits the punitive hammer.
When heard once in a fleeting moment of frustration, the words “Lutong mourning” can sound like a dank and harmless objection.
But for an organization that for years has been accused, rightly or wrongly, of being a “San Miguel league,” last Saturday’s disruption turned into a lit firework that threatens to blow up the integrity of the PBA.
And even if the culprit says he meant the scream only as a joke, it shouldn’t be excused because his poor attempt at humor only managed to make the PBA a laughingstock on social media.
Kume Marcial has to reiterate that while speech is free, there is sometimes a price to pay for the consequences.
Kume Marcial needs to defend the competition of his referees and his office must vigorously repel all false narratives, including the slightest inference that his league is manipulated, tainted.
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I was only seven when I first saw a PBA game. TV was low definition, reception creaked. And the color was as black and white as the law.
But I loved it anyway. I still do.
And while I’ve been covering the NBA for the past 20 years, every now and then I watch some PBA highlights on YouTube to reimagine some of the memories that have been such an important part of my childhood.
Even amid all the noise about roving umpires and sister teams supposedly colluding for top talent, I still whole-heartedly believe that the PBA is pure and immaculate.
Am I a fool for believing it?
