MANILA, Philippines—The e-mail dated Nov. 17, 2008 was left unopened until Saturday. I don’t know how I could have missed it but I did.

The subject was Rudy Distrito’s case as narrated by Seattle-based Ruffy Ignacio, treasurer of the PBA Legends Foundation USA.

Ruffy said that Rudy had called him that morning, apparently to report the result of the October 23 parole board hearing which was almost a month old.

Rudy was surprisingly in high spirits, according to Ruffy, or else he had already recovered from the disappointment brought about by the parole board decision.

“Rudy showed more concern about how we would react to the sad news that parole had been denied. I didn’t tell him that we had been informed of this weeks earlier,” Ruffy said.

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“Sir, ganyan talaga ang buhay. Manslaughter kasi ang kaso ko. Napatay ko ‘yung tao, so ‘yung magulang ng biktima, hanggang ngayon hindi pa nakakalimutan yung sakit. Kasalanan ‘yun na dapat pagdusahan,” Rudy told Ruffy.

In a parole board hearing, the family of the victim is also asked if it is in favor of granting parole to the offender.

In Rudy’s case, the family of the victim was strongly against his release and had even filed a motion seeking the maximum penalty.

“Rudy is requesting a special hearing this December, citing his good behavior, the commendation of officials and fellow-inmates, his seriousness in his work, his friends outside who speak highly of him, but I doubt if it will be granted. The next hearing is scheduled in September 2009 and if the decision is favorable, the earliest he can be released is March 2010,” Ruffy explained.

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“Funny, but instead of me trying to lift Rudy’s spirits, it was the other way around.

“He told me not to get discouraged. He was ok where he was. He said he had many friends in prison who were good to him. Sabi niya ayos naman daw ang trabaho niya doon at maraming nagmamahal sa kanya,” Ruffy said.

Days before the Oct. 23 hearing, Ruffy had the opportunity to talk with the cager on the phone.

“He was looking forward to that hearing. He was looking forward to spending the Christmas holidays with his family and friends. In his mind, he had no doubt that parole would be granted,” Rudy said.

“I know how heartbroken he must be, although he’s trying very hard to hide it. He said he was sorry he can’t be with us this Christmas.”

Rudy forgot that in his previous conversation with Ruffy, he had intimated that he had started to give away some of his personal effects like clothes, shoes and his small television set.

He expected with all his heart and mind that he would be released.

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Brothers Patrick and Ryan Gregorio were on opposite ends of the poles in yesterday’s POC polls.

Ryan’s mother-in-law, Cielo Macapagal-Salgado, is the sister of presidential candidate Art Macapagal who lost by two votes to incumbent Peping Cojuangco.

On the other hand, Ryan’s older brother Pato, executive director of the Abap, belongs to a group supporting the incumbent.

I wonder what was the inclination of a third brother, Allan, who works for Air21, a company owned by cycling’s Bert Lina.