Love at First Case

The Trial

After the formalities of the preliminary trial, the court's secretary read the facts of case followed by the presentation of the plaintiff and defendant's side. In this trial, the judge will determine if there's probable cause to continue the proceeding.

The expectators were all glued to their seats that as if they're waiting for something beyond their expectations.

"Atty. Juan Manuelle Arivalo, the defendant's counsel," anunsiyo ng tagabasa. Tumayo naman ang abogado bilang respeto sa court proceeding.

"Prosecutor Vhernadette Falcon, representative of the people of the Philippines." Tumayo si Vherna at bahagyang yumukod sa judge bilang paggalang.

"People of the Philippines versus Agustin Santiago. The preliminary trial is hereby open." Sinundan iyon ng pagpresenta ng unang statements ng bawat panig at natapos nga ang paunang bahagi ng pagdinig.

Upon thorough interpretation, the judge found probable cause to continue the trial. The judge then announced that formally, the case was now included at the lower court's docket.

The first trial ended just fine. Wala pa naman masyadong ganap dahil presentation of facts of the case muna. Hinatid ni Vherna sina Edna sa bahay nila kaya 'di niya na rin napansin si Mr. BB...or Atty. Manuelle Arivalo, but her mind wondered on how he looked like today. He's dashing with pride and authority, far from what she saw when they dined at The Manor.

What happened to his yellow roses and heart-shaped strawberry shortcake? They were like total strangers and merely representing their clients...no more..no less.

Pero ganun naman dapat talaga 'di ba? Kailangan labas ang personal na bagay sa propesyonal. Gumugulo sa isip ni Vherna habang tinitimbang ang mga pangyayari. The moment they entered the courtroom, hindi na sila ordinaryong tao na magpapaapekto sa emosyon. Just like Lady Justice, dapat nakapiring din sila para maging pantay sa lahat.

The next trial came, and Vherna felt nervous dahil nasa kanya ang burden of proof para patunayang dapat i-convict ang akusado. Ganoon pa man ay naniniwala pa rin siyang sapat ang kakayanan niya para maipanalo ang kaso.

Everyone inside the courtroom were patiently waiting. This day was the presentation of evidences. Agad niyang kinapa ang bag para hanapin ang flashdrive. It's not here. Kabado niyang kinalkal ulit ang bag, wala talaga.

"I was certain that I put it here...how come na wala dito?" She asked herself. Buti na lang 'di pa magsisimula ang trial dahil for the second time, Atty. Arivalo was late.

Agad niyang tinawagan si Nora na nasa opisina pa. She relayed the bad news and admitted her own carelessness. She lost the supposed to be the highlight of all the evidences. Ngayon lang ito nangyari sa kanya.

"Nora, give Mr. Devey a call. Kailangan ko siya sa witness stand." May panghihinayang niyang utos. Kung hindi lang kasi dahil sa katangahan niya, malamang 'di siya natataranta ngayon.

Kinukutkot niya ang mga kuko sa daliri habang nag-aantay ng confirmation mula kay Nora. Maya't maya ang pagsulyap niya sa phone habang nagdarasal na sana mamaya pa dumating ang kabilang panig.

Nilingon niya si Aling Edna. Nakangiti ito na para bang sinasabi sa kanya na malaki ang tiwala nitong maipanalo ang kaso ng anak. She wearily smiled back. Hindi man niya ipahalata ang pagkabalisa, alam niya sa sarili na it's her first kapalpakan.

Twenty minutes passed, the defendant's consel arrived. As usual, his only reason was the goodamn traffic. Unreasonable.

She once again glanced at her phone, no notification coming from her paralegal. Mr. Devey, asan ka ba? She mentally uttered.

"Counsel of the accused, please state your client's plea." Pormal na wika ng judge nang magsimula na ang hearing.

"Your Honor, my client is pleading not guilty." Kumpiyansang saad ni Atty. Arivalo sabay sulyap sa kinauupuan ni Vherna at halatang naghahamon talaga. Bahagya pa itong nag-smirk bago umupo.

"The defendant's not guilty plea is hereby recorded by the court's stenographer and in its finality. " Sinundan iyon ng pag-tap ng gavel.

"Representative of the state, the bar is now ready to hear your side." Baling ng judge kay Vherna. Sumulyap muna siya kina Aling Edna at Joy, ngumiti siya as assurance na everything will be fine. Kahit pa ang totoo'y walang kasiguraduhan ang lahat. f**k! Naglakad na siya patungo sa harap habang dala ang kopya ng kanyang statement.

"Your Honor, defendant's side, People of the Philippines, the victim is hoping that the guilty verdict will be served for the accused. " Madiin niyang pambungad at tiningnan mata sa mata ang akusado at sinunod rin ang abogado nito na nakipagsukatan din ng titigan sa kanya. Nagpatuloy siya.

"The hereby accused is supposed to be the very person who's responsible for the care of the young generation. He's considered as a person in authority who is tasked to make sure that the children are well-educated and well-mannered. He's the second parent to his pupils. But as the facts of this case unfolded, this very person was the one who ruined the life of a child. Indeed, the world now is full of people who are normal outside, but deep inside, they are as barbaric as the beasts lingering into the wilderness. Your Honor, my client is the future of this country, and now, numerous queries are possibly lurking in her young mind - Is my motherland, still a safe haven to live in? Are my countrymen worthy enough for my sacrifices in the near future? Is lady justice really fair in rendering judgement without the influence of social status? Those were the questions that this young pal might be thinking right now. Your Honor, I hope you'll heed her fervor," bumalik si Vherna sa prosecutor's bench at nahalata niyang naluha si Aling Edna. Wala si Joy doon dahil masyadong mabigat para sa bata na makita ulit ang suspect.

"Defendant's counsel, the time is yours to lay down your client's defense." Saad ng judge.

"Honorable court, Your Honor, and everyone present right now, my client is worthy of his constitutional vested right to be pressumed innocent, unless otherwise declared guilty by the high court. Like what the honorable prosecutor said a while back, lady justice must be fair enough to vacillate each party based upon actual evidences and not purely hearsay. As what provisioned under the law on evidence, hearsay is not in any way admissible as evidence." After those statements the prosecution's side presented the first witness, the child expert, who narrated the child's traumatic encounter. Her statement was supported by pertinent data, session recordings, and her opinion itself as an expert on the field.

It's time for Atty. Arrivalo to cross-examine the expert. Wala namang nakikitang butas si Vherna about sa statement nito.

"Mrs. Robles, as an expert on your field and without bias, I have a question for you and please answer it truthfully."

Naglakad-lakad ito sa harap ng judge habang magkahawak ang mga kamay na parang news anchor. Vherna was looking at him intently. He's very charismatic, she thought.

"Nangangako po ako sa loob ng hukumang ito na magsasabi ng totoo bilang paggalang sa sinumpaan kong propesyon." May conviction na saad ni Mrs. Robles. She's holding her Doctor's badge na nakakabit sa bandang dibdib.

Tinungo ng abogado ang kinauupuan ng witness. Nakatayo na ito ngayon sa harapan niya na parang handang kainin siya ng buhay.

"Well then... let's start." But before anything else, he glanced at Vherna's direction. Ngumiti ito na tila may nais ipahiwatig. "Aside from external factors, are there any possible things to consider regarding child trauma?"

Nag-ayos ng upo ang doktor. The expectators were waiting for her words. "Yes Atty. The everyday environment of a child is included. Hindi lang po kami nagkuconcentrate sa labas, maari rin pong sa loob mismo nanggagaling ang trauma."

He smiled victoriously. Vherna knew what he was doing then. He will indirectly question the foundation of the victim's family as the main source of her trauma. Ito ang mahirap kapag walang maipakitang physical evidence ang panig niya.

She wanted to butt in but it's not allowed in the rules of court. Kailangan niya munang antayin ang pahintulot ng judge bago siya magsalita.

"Right! The victim is a product of a broken family. She had no idea on what father-figure is." Paliwanag ng abogado sa lahat. "My client here," he pointed the accused, "treated his students as his own children and Joy is not an exemption. I have gathered testimonies wherein his colleagues dubbed him as a father-figure. According to them, he's kind and he would always help them. Nakikita nila kung gaano kaimportante sa kanya ang kaligtasan at edukasyon ng mga bata."

Vherna was speechless for a moment. Hindi siya makapaniwalang nagpapakaalipin ang abogado sa maling panig. Nawalan siya ng respeto rito, napalitan iyon ng galit.

Atty. Arrivalo then presented a video na naglalaman ng mga testemonya ng kasamahan ng akusado sa trabaho. Puro papuri ang laman ng mga dila nila, as expected.

"There's a big possibility that the victim misunderstood my client's genuine care for her. And that's given, afterall she's just a kid who have no broad knowledge on what is right and wrong. She's only dependent on her mother's sense of morality." He ended the cross-examination just like that. The table now turned up side down.

Napamaang si Aling Edna habang wala sa sariling pumapatak ang luha. Hindi niya ito pinunasan dahil na rin mas nanaig ang sakit na nararamdaman niya. Vherna looked at her helplessly. Wala siyang magawa kun'di magtiwalang mananaig ang hustisya. She put the blame on herself. It's her fault why she lost the evidence... it's all her fault.

"It's recorded here that the prosecutor's side has physical evidence. The bench is now open to challenge its authenticity." Paliwanag ng judge na nagpakaba kay Vherna. Wala pa ring balita kay Mr. Devey.

She had no other choice but to cancel the evidence. Tumayo ito at pumunta sa harap. She apologetically looked at Aling Edna. Nakukonsensya siya.

Mataman niyang tinitigan si Judge Salgado. "Honorable Judge, it's not our intention to lose the evidence. I hereby admitted my fault." Yumuko siya. Hindi niya kayang lingunin ang mga taong umaasa sa kanya. When she's about to walk back to her seat. Nora appeared at the door with no other than.....Mr.Devey. Kitang-kita niya na naghahabol pa ng hininga ang paralegal. She finally at ease.

Inabot ni Nora sa kanya ang cellphone ni Mr. Devey. Agad naman siyang lumapit sa Judge para ipasa ito as evidence....but Atty. Arrivalo butted in.

"Your honor, It's not admissible as evidence given the fact that it's not pre-recorded in the list of evidences." Tahasan niyang pagkontra na nagpakunot sa noo ni Vherna.

"It's provisioned under the rule on evidences that only the Judge can determine if it's admissible or not. There's no provision pertaining to the lawyer's authority on testing the admissibility of the evidence."She courageously said that made the expectators gasped in amusement. She's a sought-after prosecutor for a reason.

After thorough examination, the judge allowed the prosecution to use the footage as an evidence with Mr. Devey's testimony.

The trial ended and base upon the foregoing evidences, the prosecution's side win today's battle. Habang nasa hallway si Vherna ay 'di niya inaasahang makakasabay niya si Atty. Arivalo.

For a moment, they were quietly walking in the hallway. You could only hear the continuous tapping of her high heels and his black leather shoes. The atmosphere between them reached it's height but someone attempted to break the monotony.

"Congrats Prosecutor Falcon. You're awesome today," bati ng abogado habang sinabayan siya sa paglalakad.

"Is it genuine?" She smirked. Gusto niyang maklaro ang lahat sa kanila pero walang ibang lumalabas sa bibig niya.

"Yes, it is. Remember the code of ethics? Personal feelings should not hinder professionalism." Mapang-uyam nitong tugon. Napahinto sa paglalakad si Vherna. Hinarap niya ang abogado. Their eyes met.

"I know better...you don't need to remind me. Naaalala mo rin ba ang golden rule na Ang sinungaling ay kapatid ng magnanakaw?" Parang binuhusan ng malamig na tubig ang abogado. She laughed silently.

Habang nasa loob sila ng korte kanina, napag-isipan ni Vherna ang mga possibilities kung bakit biglang lumitaw sa harap niya si Atty. Manuelle Arivalo. Then she come across to a realization, ginamit niya ba ako para makuha ang ebidensya?

At first, she's in denial. But her memories about what happened the other night rushed through her like a lightning. That must be the reason...dala niya kasi ang bag niya sa hotel. She's certain about it. Nabuhay bigla ang pagiging detective niya.

Mr. Lawyer creased his brow. "What are you trying to imply? Hindi ako magnanakaw."

Natawa tuloy bigla si Vherna. Hindi nila napansin ang mga nagdaraang tao sa gilid nila. "Sabi nga nila, mahuhuli mo ang isda sa pagbuka ng sarili nitong bibig." Tumalikod siya sa abogado at humakbang palayo.

"I'm playing the game Prosecutor. And it just happened that you get succumbed with your feelings. Madali ka palang maniwala...hindi pala totoo ang sabi-sabi na tigasin ka." Sumabay ulit ito sa kanya sa paglalakad. Nag-init ang tainga ni Vherna. So it's true, ginamit siya ng lalaki at pinagnakawan pa.

Hindi lang ebidensya ang nanakaw sa kanya. Kung 'di kalakip na rin ang tiwala niya. But now, she's sure. Wala na siyang ibang nararamdaman dito kun'di galit at pagkadismaya.

Hinarap niya ulit ang abogado pero ngayon mas fierce na ang tingin niya. There's neither trace of love nor admiration, what's apparent was anger and disdain.

"Yes, you played the game...that dirty game of yours. You tainted your badge, it can't be refuted by your hefty salary." Madiin niyang saad na nagpatutop sa abogado. Nakaawang ang kanyang bibig, at parang tinamaan ito sa sinabi ni Vherna.

She won. Wala pa mang verdict, alam niyang panalo na siya - against the two faces of injustice.

'di makapaniwala ang abogado. His ego suffered an emotional damage caused by the prosecutor. But the strange thing was, he find prosecutor Falcon's strong personality as captivating as ever. She's a living definition of the so-called passion with angst.