Azkals told: Be humble

The lantaka (toy cannon) is now banned by the police. What used to be a native toy in my youth is now banned like a deadly weapon.

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 Us kids had fun firing the lantaka. . .yelling yehey with every burst. We called our toy “kanyon-kanyon.” It was made of bamboo and fired with kerosene.

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 Then the grownups laid their hands on our toy and in keeping with modernity made it a deadly thing by loading it with missile that could hurt or even maim innocent people. There and then, the fun kids used to enjoy was gone.

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 A priest acquaintance of mine who, in his youth, also enjoyed toying with the lantaka, is angry at those who tampered with the fun us kids enjoyed.

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 Bonifacio Day came and went. I was not able to pay tribute to Andres Bonifacio, one of the two noble heroes of mine, the other one being Ninoy Aquino.

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 Andres Bonifacio and Ninoy Aquino were both hated by political kingpins who feared they would knock them off their seats of power. Both my heroes were killed in a manner that they were deprived of the chance to defend themselves.

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 The Azkals have been reminded of the need for them to be modest. To be humble. And not to make-believe they stet are superstars. In Europe they are still bench warmers.

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 This reminder comes from German football guru Eckhard Krautzun whom Quinito Henson recently interviewed for the Philippine STAR. Krautzun, 70, has helped much in the development of football in the country.

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 It says here that a court in France has ordered a man to pay 10,000 euros (or $13,300 or P571,900) in damages to his long-frustrated ex-wife after he failed in his marriage “duties” by withholding sex from her for years. The court’s term for the man’s offense is “absence of sexual relations.”

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 Reader Leoning Olbes of V. Gullas St., this city, called up again to comment on GMA’s transfer from St. Luke’s Medical Center to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. Said Mrs. Olbes: “GMA cannot ask for a more comfortable arrangement. Her desire for a house arrest has been turned down but the Veterans Medical Center is far better than the police detention facility. Unsa pa may gusto ni Ma’am?”

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Reader Olbes asked me what I thought of her comment. Well later na lang. I’ve run out of space, see?