The friendship between two Johns

My "sangay" Juan Ma. Achumbre was nabbed for parking his car in a "no stopping" zone. He didn't argue knowing that ignorance of the law excuses no Juan.

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Juan, who uses Johnny as his nickname, says he never argues with traffic enforcers for he's a Johnny good fellow.

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Johnny says it's no use arguing with a law enforcer. "He's always right," he says. "Even when he's wrong." Well, the law is hard but he's the law.

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Multi-billionaire John Gokongwei Jr. is donating at least P20 billion - about half of his fortune - to charity. Who'll try to outdo Mr. Gokongwei? Yes, who among the other Taipans who tried to outdo him in building business empires?

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That reminds me. A friend's five-year-old kid, who when asked by his Dad if he wanted him to be a doctor or an engineer, said: "No, no. I want to be a Gokongwei."

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Reminds me also of the late Cebuano journalist John Teo. Tagle who used to string for The Freeman. John called Gokongwei "tocayo." They were classmates in high school here in Cebu and a very close friendship developed between the two Johns. John G. never forgot John T. even when the former already owned a massive business conglomorate making him one of the richest Taipans in the country.

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Whenever John T. went to Manila, he would just call John G.'s residence and a car would fetch him at the pier or airport.

"Ingon ana mi kasuod ni John Gokongwei," John Tagle told me with pride.

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But John T. even in his most difficult times never bothered his friend and "tocayo" with pleas for financial assistance or any other form of assistance.

"Diha ko bilib ni John Tagle," said another John, our friend John Jaspe. "Wa siya mo-take advantage sa iyang kasuod sa usa ka datu niyang amigo."

"Diha sad ko bilib ni John G.," I said to John Jaspe. "Wa gyud malimot sa iyang pobreng classmate nga si John T."

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Bobit Avila's beloved mother, Ascension Segura Avila, passed away last Sunday three days before the Feast of the Assumption (yesterday). My family and I join you, Bit, in your moment of sorrow.

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Very early in the morning yesterday I got this text message from my kumpadre Boy Odilao. It's a beautiful early morning greeting:

"Ang kasikas sa mga lunhaw'ng dahon nga mitalidhay duyog sa mga kalamganan naghatag og kadasig aron pagpukaw sa mga tawng suod ning akong dughan. Maajong buntag!"