Kristine’s scapular a gift for Jun

Former PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino will be laid to rest at the Heritage Memorial Park in Fort Bonifacio after the 8 a.m. Requiem Mass at the Magallanes Church in Makati on Saturday.

Since Jun’s remains were brought to Magallanes for the week-long wake last Saturday night, the chapel has been swamped by friends, relatives and condoling with his wife Mimi and their children Stephanie, Nolan, Vera and Kristine.

Laying in state, Jun couldn’t be handsomer in a crisp barong Tagalog. He has an Our Lady of Guadalupe scapular around his neck and a Sacred Heart pin on the front of his shirt. The scapular was a gift from Kristine, the youngest in the family at 24.

"I found it at the bottom of the sea when I was swimming in Batangas," said Kristine, a nursery school teacher.

Eldest child Stephanie lives in Chicago with husband Rishi, a lawyer. She’s involved in theater and the arts. Nolan, an Ateneo graduate and the only boy, works at GSIS and is married to Marga. Vera is taking up medicine at UP, Jun’s alma mater.

The names of Jun’s wife, children, son-in-law and daughter-in-law are written on cloth strips stuck to the inner cushion of the open window in his coffin. Below the names of the immediate family are two more strips with the names Linus and Charlie, Jun’s dogs.

Last Sunday night, hundreds poured into the chapel to pay homage to the man everybody loved. Among those who came were PLDT chairman Manny Pangilinan, PBA commissioner Noli Eala, Eric Altamirano and wife Marissa, Don Allado and wife Maricar, Benjie Paras, Bong Hawkins, Allan Caidic, Binky Favis, Nic Jorge, Sonny Barrios and wife Becky, Ricky Palou, Dave Brodett, Tonet Itchon, Perry Martinez, Ricky Santos, Chito Loyzaga, Bay Ledesma, Mario Raymundo, Norman Black and wife Benji, Jimmy Cantor, Rhea Navarro and The Star sports staff’s Lito Tacujan, Gerry Carpio, Dante Navarro, Nelson Beltran and Abac Cordero.

Rhea said Jun never wanted to be a bother to anyone. At Moying Martelino’s surprise birthday party at the Polo Club last Friday night, he could’ve asked to be rushed to the hospital at the first sign of a heart attack but kept it to himself.

"Of course, Jun knew he was having a heart attack," said Rhea who was at the party. "He had survived two heart attacks. He knew the symptoms. But he didn’t want to worry anyone. He didn’t want to disrupt the party. It was just like him to do that."

Jun collapsed in the Polo Club restroom and was brought to the Makati Medical Center by a Lifeline Arrows ambulance. He died at approximately 1:30 early Saturday morning.

"I’d never seen Jun so happy that night," recalled Tony Boy Liao who worked closely with Bernardino in the Shakey’s V-League. "He took me around and introduced me to his friends. I was with him for over an hour before he died. You couldn’t tell he was feeling bad as after the party ended, his friends went up to him to say goodbye, shake hands and crack jokes."

Rhea said it was strange that Jun declined to join Moying, MVP, POC president Jose Cojuangco and former POC president Cito Dayrit for a photo pose during the party. And she mentioned that when Moying was led to the Turf Room for the surprise party, the first person he saw through the glass window—of all the well-wishers in line—was Jun waving at him, as if to say goodbye.

Not too many people know that Jun was instrumental in bringing Norman to the country. Jun was coach Fely Fajardo’s assistant at Tefilin in the PBA and recruited Norman to play as an import in 1981. Jun became the original "Man on the Ball" on the PBA telecast as a courtside reporter in 1982 and a few months later, succeeded the late Pepito Castro as PBA executive secretary.

Reacting to Jun’s passage, former PSC commissioner Mike Barredo said: "We have a lot to thank Jun B for his support to the Philippine Wheelchair Basketball League when he was still the PBA commissioner. God bless his kind soul, on behalf of Philspada and all athletes with disabilities."

Postscript. The first Puma brand store will be inaugurated at the Bonifacio High Street tonight. Waffle Marketing president Auty Villarama is inviting everyone to visit the store and find out what makes Puma tick… Brian Viloria’s manager Gary Gittelsohn sent this text message after Golden Boy’s motion to stop the Manny Pacquiao-Jorge Solis fight was denied by a Las Vegas court: "Now who’s on the outside looking in?" It was a reaction to former Pacquiao manager Shelly Finkel’s comment that the boxing icon is in a bind after failing to land a big money fight against either Marco Antonio Barrera or Juan Manuel Marquez…The PBL-Harbour Center selection must win the SEABA Champions Cup title in Jakarta to qualify the Philippines for the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup tournament in Iran on May 12-20. Second place won’t do. The rub is if the PBL-Harbour Center team wins, it will not represent the country in Iran. The slot is reserved for the national seniors squad coached by Chot Reyes.