But the end of the school year was not the reason for the gathering. There were also dozens of celebrities and network news crews, because there was going to be a very special exhibition game, in tribute to one of the players of the school’s basketball team, the Tiger Sharks.
Kenji Kanai, a talented 5’11" point guard for the school, was killed by an onrushing vehicle one early morning last July. Because of all the horrific injuries he sustained, and being pinned in the wreckage, the young athlete died from a combination of head trauma and loss of blood, despite being just two hundred meters away from an MMDA emergency bay, which supposedly had enough equipment to pry him loose.
The driver who caused the accident, Timothy Abejuela, was driving a car with commemorative Philippine National Police license plates. For an undetermined reason, he didn’t slow down, hence the excessive violence of the accident. He was also afforded special treatment by the police detachment at Camp Karingal, which resulted in the reassignment of two police officers involved (one of them, however, was returned to the station weeks later).
A case was filed with the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, but, because of a question raised by the counsel of the accused regarding the use of the word "is" in reference to the victim (they argued that he was already dead, so the linking verb did not apply), the case ended up in the Metropolitan Trial Court, where it has since stalled.
"I have mixed emotions," admits Kenji’s mother, Susan, who still cries whenever she’s asked about the case. "The case isn’t going well. It’s I have to move on. I’m giving myself activities to keep my mind off it. The family is depressed about it, knowing nothing has happened. The sadness is there, because Kenji is not at home with us anymore. Until now, it’s in the Metropolitan Trial Court, and we’re stuck in the settlement. They keep on promising a date for the settlement, and they keep breaking their promises."
A disbelieving, pained and grieving family and school decided that they needed help from their friends in the media to bring the case back out from the shadows.
"This game is a tribute to Kenji, because it’s the last day of the school year, since we all know that he was a graduating student, and he didn’t graduate," explained Benedictine head coach Beaujing Acot. "So we gave him importance, because of all the memories he gave us for five years. Until now, the case is still not moving. Since November, nothing has been happening to the case."
Friends from the basketball community, surprised and outraged by the turn of events, visited the campus to lend support.
"I’m here to give support to the family. Growing up, I had my own dreams also. Because of what happened, Kenji didn’t fulfill his dreams," said San Miguel Beer guard Olsen Racela. "I also know how it feels to lose a loved one. My Dad passed away two years ago. This benefit game should serve to keep the memory of Kenji alive."
"It will help build awareness so the case will move," added Beermen guard Dondon Hontiveros. "We’re also here to help support Susan. We’re here to comfort them and be friends to them. Hopefully they will get justice."
"This is a tribute to the family of Kenji; we wanted to make some noise so people will notice the case," elaborated actor and television host Onemig Bondoc, whose family owns the school. "I’m really saddened. It seems like everything is being stalled with money. It’s embarrassing. Let’s not be carried away by money or influence. Let’s see who is really at fault, and give the family justice."
The whole idea of holding a benefit game was broached by movie producer and action star Ronnie Ricketts, an old friend of the Kanais.
"Susan always used to eat at our restaurant, and now she’s a student of mine at Bakbakan, so I asked her, through Dinky Doo, if we could have an exhibition game, because Kenji loved basketball," Ricketts recalls. "I said I would take care of it. All these celebrities came here for Kenji. It’s two things. The case of Kenji is being forgotten. We’re still hoping for justice. The other day, Darius Razon’s child died. We had fun, and hopefully, we were able to help Susan feel better."
The school had converted the fourth-year classroom into a shrine for Kanai, with all his varsity jerseys, photographs, mementos and an audiovisual tribute produced by Benedictine students.
University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers Badong Canlas, Chester Taylor and former national youth player Dylan Ababo made an appearance, as did Jose Rizal University’s spectacular forward Floyd Dedicatoria, Macky Acosta and Maui Pradas, reinforcing the Tiger Sharks. Even former Tiger Shark players participated. The celebrity players, coached by Ricketts and called into service by comedian Dinky Doo were Jeffrey Santos, Ace Espinosa, Ryan Ramos, Gerald Pizarro, Jhon Medina, Jeffrey Tan, URCC champion Philip Yong, Ramon Mabayo, Junjun Mena, Kevin Vernal, and Ricardo Cepeda were joined by Olympic silver medalist Onyok Velasco, Bondoc and this writer.
A crew from GMA 7 was at the affair from beginning to end, with Philippine Basketball League commissioner Chino Trinidad (also a GMA talent) conducting several interviews. ABS-CBN was invited, but did not show up. Afterwards, however, a crew from the network arrived, but to conduct a show business interview with Bondoc.
The game itself was intense, with the visiting collegians trying to dominate inside. But the celebrity team kept in stride, losing the battle off the boards, but not giving an inch. The collegiate playe2rs held a slim lead as the first-quarter ended.
Then the celebrities started running, giving the youngsters a taste of their own medicine. Gradually, the entertainers, buoyed up by Dinky Doo’s hilarious commentary over the public address system, raced off to a 19-point lead by the end of the third period. In the fourth period, the Tiger Sharks raced back, thanks to the intensity of its guards, led by Jay Santos and Clark Bautista, and the inside play of frontliners Ian Ricalde and Shaq Faner. However, the hosts ran out of time, and the celebs escaped with an 87-84 win. Over lunch, gratitude was spread all around, forming a healing balm to the raw emotions that have not subsided.
"I’m not angry, all I can say is what if it happened to them, that nothing is resolved for so long," Susan Kanai asks. "The case is disappearing without any resolution. I lost a son. It really hurts, no matter what anyone says."
And the pain will not go away, no matter how much the settlement is. But the least the accused can do is make it easier to end the suffering that is not of the family’s making.