Young bikers bid goodbye to ‘Sir Nonoy’

Bikers under NR Racing wait outside the San Fernando town gymnasium where the wake and public viewing of the remains of their late leader, Panadtaran Barangay Captain Nonoy Reluya, is being held.| CDNDigital PHOTO/Tonee E. Despojo

SAN FERNANDO, Cebu — A mentor. A leader. A father.

These were three personas that Panadtaran, San Fernando Barangay Captain Ricardo “Nonoy” Reluya Jr. was to his boys in NR Racing.

“Siya man na tanan. Gikan sa among gear padung sa among motor iyaha na gipagamit namo. Kung adto og lagyo, usahay sa Mindanao, iyaha na among plete ug kaon,” Stephen Parador, one of the racers, told Cebu Daily News  Digital.

(He takes care of everything, from the gears that we wear to the motorbike that we drive. Whenever we go out of town for a racing event, like in Mindanao, he shoulders our fare and meals.)

Parador, 26, said he learned from Reluya the drive to succeed in racing and the attitude of discipline and humility, among others. He started as a crew for Reluya’s team in NR Racing and eventually became part of the team.

“Gusto ra man siya nga modaog mi. Moingon gani siya nga magpractice mi, mo-practice pod mi. Gusto pod siya nga maningkamot mi. [Gitudloan mi niya og] disiplina kay di man to ganahan si Sir Nonoy og hambugero,” Parador recalled.

But now, the about 20 racers in his team, including Parador, shall bid goodbye to the icon that Reluya was to them.

Reluya was among the three persons who perished when armed men peppered bullets on the van that he, his wife, incumbent San Fernando Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya, and four others boarded while traversing the national highway in Barangay Linao in Talisay City on the evening of January 22.

The other fatalities in the ambush were Municipal Investment and Promotions Officer Ricky Monterona and van driver Allan Bayot. Mayor Reluya and their two other companions survived the attack and are now recuperating in a private hospital in Cebu City under tight police security.

On Sunday, Reluya’s remains were brought to San Fernando after a four-day wake in St. Peter’s Chapel in Cebu City.

The convoy that carried Reluya’s remains were escorted by police, personnel from the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) and Reluya’s boys from NR Racing.

The racers blow the horns of their motorbikes while shedding tears as Reluya’s body arrived at the San Isidro Parish at noon.

Despite having to say goodbye, Parador said they will keep driving and racing under Reluya’s flag, in honor of the man who was once their mentor./elb