Let lies swallow you down
Tears fall down as I slowly walk in front of the crowd and receive the diploma.
"How I wish they could see me reaching the paper of success." After the ceremony, I visit the tomb of my parents without any companion. I give respect and celebrate for a while. I bought noodles and bread, and bring it to the cemetery. I took selfie and put hashtag #Familypicture #success.
All of these are the products of my past. My determination to change the society keeps me motivated to be a lawyer. Although I have now my license and already took the induction I am still confused where and when to start. Given the fact that I have no parents which may guide my decisions and may give a sort of advices. How I wish they are stll alive to witness my achivements.
I remember the day when I celebrate my eight birthday. All of the guests are enjoying the party while my mamang is busy preparing the foods. I’m very happy that day even my papang Jon-Jon is not around. He was with the city Mayor Rey P. Plaridel. Although we are not complete, still my friends and my mother are here to make me smile. While playing, I saw my mamang arguing with her colleagues. She is a business minded and an advocate of violence against women. Afterwards, I heard that there is a problem with one of our neighbor who was abuse by her husband. After minutes of talking, she approaches me and asks permission to leave me with my auntie. She has important thing to do and promise to go back as early as possible. So I let her to finish her duties then I continue playing with my friends. Many hours passed and the party was ended. It is only my auntie who is with me throughout the party and my both parents are missing. At first, I don’t know how to approach them after what they did. I got embarrassed and mad of what happened. It turns to be habitual that they ignore me. They don’t have time to be with me. I want them to realize that I’m still a child who needs their time and comfort all the day.
Early evening, I went to Judy’s house while waiting to my parents. Judy Martinez is my childhood best friend. We talk for a couple of hours. I tell to her all hatred and bad things happening to me. After a while, she gave me a lot of advices and cheers me up. I decided to go home and hoping that they are preparing a surprise for my birthday. Meanwhile, I saw the motorcycle of my papang. My emotions turn to be excited since I already saw a sign that may be my parents are at home. I run faster and open the door. I try to look for them but they are not present. Auntie told me that my father went back in the office and left his vehicle while my mother is still not around. What a day full of disappointments.
My parents are really busy doing their duties. In fact, they have no time staying with me. That is the time I learned how to stand firm with my decision and I learned to rebel. I turn to be an activist which aims to build a new system and seeking the equality amongst the society. I found myself leading a social group that changes the faults of the society.
Many years passed when I discovered an issue that changed my life. That time, I foresee myself to be a lawyer in the future. I studied in a university and took political science. As a social group leader, we did many activities that would help the people to deliver concerns in the government.
One day I received a message from my friend saying that the city mayor is trying to sell the barrio lot we are living. He really plans this to give back the pain we did against his administration. Accordingly, he is planning to sell the lot into a business company. They want to build amusement park and two commercial buildings to increase the economic finance growth of the municipality. On the other hand, I consult a confirmation to my father about the issue of selling and the act of demolition. I personally ask him and got shocked of what I heard. My father told me that the issues are true. In fact, the papers are already drafted and only waiting for approval. In line with ths, he said that their alliance is makng a move which will hinder the said activity. But the mayor is really powerful such he is handling the lives of people through money. Since they are working for him, he knows that the mayor controls the majority of the government decision including the boards and committees.
Suddenly, I told my mother about the plans of the mayor. She revealed to me that they already knew the issue and already plans a solution to rebut the administration. My mother is too aggressive in helping the community. They build a group that may protect the boundary in case the mayor implemented demolition process. She encourages the whole barangay to make a move in protecting the land and seeking justice for their rights as a citizen.
My group joins the barangay in planning and doing a protest against the municipality. We try to deliver our concerns with regards to the issues. We make papers and legal business affairs with other public lawyers. As what we did to stop the negotiations between the mayor and the business man, the mayor gets annoyed to my family. His eyes get hotter to all moves we are doing. He knew that my family controls the people who is fighting against him and seeking improvements for the betterment of the barrio.
One night, we received a message that my father died. We got stunned of what we heard. The only person that comes in my mind to make this crime is the mayor. I know that papang is making propaganda against him, and in return he killed my father. Full of emotions, we cried vociferously and blame the mayor. I know and pretty sure that he did this. He killed my father to lessen the problems he is facing now. Full of disparity, and suffering lies in grief and sorrow, my mamang and I don’t know what and where to start with. We are so fragile to handle another set of problems that will test our capacity in handling life’s fortune.
Unfortunately, while we are assisting the preparations of my papang’s entombment, many trucks came to demolish the vicinity. It was very timely and seems to be planned that the demolition team arrives to destroy our home. My mother quickly faces the demolition team together with the barangay citizen. She get really mad that time and so weak for another activity. The battle between the two sides arouses. Many people died. I personally witness how the people are trying to defend their homes. Meanwhile, I saw my mother hit by a stone in her forehead. I was too nervous and seeking for help, but it seems everybody ignores me.
I really don’t know what to do. My life was really devastated. My parents are both died because of corrupt intentions and demonic plan of the city mayor. My future was ruined by a prevailing man who tries to destroy many poor. Now we are badly seeking for justice. We really want fair decision. We really need to have our rights. We really want him to finished and put in jail while suffocating with his lies. We want him to experience the grief and sorrow of being alone.
I don’t have my parents now. Indeed, what keeps me motivated to be a lawyer is the intention to give justice to my parents and to other victims. Now that I have my licensed and I have the knowledge to give back the pain I handle through the years to a man who destroy my dreams, my future, and my life, I am immensely eager to go back him and filed a case. Though we failed to get justice before, now, I believe that the power is in my hand to refute his innocence, lies, and demonic plan against the society we living.
As a beginner in this field, I met Coring Choi as my first client. Her case was closely similar to what happened in me in the past. She is looking for her parents to give justice against a politician. It seems that all things happened to me went back as she stated the crime happened to her parents. Moving forward, luckily we won the case. This time my eagerness was boost up and extremely believing that the decision of the court will lean in my hand.
Now, the case is presently running and I’m hoping together with other victims, the city mayor will face all the consequences he did.
END