It’s been a year since you left us. Yet it seems that you were never gone at all. Law students and development workers still talk about the exploits and your banters everytime we are summoned at Assumption Libraries. There is nothing for you to banter anyway, because for the past year we haven’t flanked any subject yet. But I’m sure you will still pull rabbits off your hat and find ways to tease us on our hardships in law school. Only for you to rub on our faces your words, “ag fieldwork kayo gamin tapno pumasa kayo”.
In our freshmen years, you advised us to erect a wall so that we have something to bash our heads against every morning to maintain sanity. Well Manong Kissak, with the way things that are now, that wall was reduced to rubble. Following your death, our President, the one we campaigned and supported throughout the election period, seated into power. I guess with the consideration of the Pnoy Administration, our thirst for change pushed us and the majority of the Filipino populace to support Duterte’s bid for presidency. However, our hope in Duterte in quenching our thirst for change never came to realization.
To be fair, there were significant deeds which Duterte contributed for our beloved country that the past administrations failed to perform. One notable among others, is when he asked for the resumption of peace talks between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Philippine government (GRP). This was prematurely halted last January only to recommence days after. And while we laud his deed when he appointed people oriented leader in his cabinet, we despise him when he went on and do the same to generals, who by the way smeared blood to communities during tenure as soldiers.
Manong Kisack, our President has erratic mood swings. He often times spit controversial, if not laudable statements in his speeches then retracting the same days after. His mood swings and foul mouth slurs became customary in all of his speeches. It is not Duterte speech if the words “putang ina”, fuck you, bullshit etc. don’t fly our airwaves. And what’s funny is that some people love him for that.
Manong Kissak, we are pleased to inform you that we went out countless times for fieldwork. We managed to squeeze ample amount of time for it, considering our hectic schedules in law school and our respective work. However, few were spent to the rural areas where the oppressed and marginalized communities are situated. Most of those fieldworks were here in the concrete urban city where we are mostly needed.
Though we are required in the rural areas, State security oppression was extended here in the urban during Duterte’s early months of power. Due process of law was mocked when the President launched his war on drugs. Corpses of suspected drug addicts and dealers pile our urban streets. For a moment, the law profession became irrelevant. Prosecution and handing out judgement, functions vested only to the officers of the court, were lodged in the hands of our State security forces and their co-horts.
Remember how we tease you during your birthdays Manong? Your birthday is hard to forget because it is historic. It is a day in which a lot of Filipinos including Westerners wished it would have been stricken out from existence. The 11th of September will always be remembered by the Westerners as the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. For the Filipinos, especially the Martial Law victims and its descendants, 9/11 will remember it as the birth of the spawn of Satan. As for us, September 11 will be remembered as your birthday, the day the day when law gods gave Kissak as gift to the IPs of Cordillera.
Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator you share the same birth date with, is now six feet under the ground at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Yes Manong, the once branded World’s Greatest Thief and famous human rights violator rests at the Libgingan ng mga Bayani. Thanks to the orders of the President. After months of deliberation, a 9-5 vote from the Supreme Court sealed the nail for Macoy’s burial. They did it so via ‘black ops’ style in broad daylight. They flew Macoy’s remains via helicopter over the disgruntled Filipino people hoping to prevent the said burial. It worked unfortunately; Macoy was buried without the people knowing. Later, it sparked a series of protest.
Maybe you are wondering; where were we when all of this happened? The event took place during the Bar month of November and we we were at the gates of University of Sto Tomas (UST) in solidarity with the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) ‘black to block’ campaign against the burial of Macoy and the return of the Marcos’ to power. Me and Karl even had a quick chat with our idol Bayan Muna Representative, Atty. Carlos Zarate while Jerry along with other Law Student comrades beat the gong along Espana Blvd. Our Dean and FLAG Chairman, Atty. Pablito Sanidad, Sr. also participated on the said campaign. Dean Sanidad even requested students to wear black during the Bar Operations in solidarity with the ‘black to block’ campaign; simple gesture reiterating that the ‘Solid North Norm’ is a myth.
With now Marcos six feet under the ground, people weep in not mourning but in disgust. Contrary to the claims of common Millennials that Macoy’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani would espouse national closure.
Justice remains elusive to the victims of Martial Law, and to add salt to injury, like they haven’t suffered enough, a new dictator emerges. The very evil that they struggled and fought to contain locked inside a cage using a padlock which is our Constitution has somehow picked its lock, and now threatens to haunt them once again.
Manong Kissak, our Preisident Duterte ascended as a dictator.
I admit that we campaigned for him. But like any prudent man would do, one must stick to his principles and not to be blinded to the person who championed the former’s wants for the latter’s self benefit. Frankly, we felt that we were used Manong.
Duterte declared Martial Law for the entire Mindanao following the Maute siege in Marawi. He even went on public and announced that he might declare Martial Law beyond Mindanao and that he would extend it here in the north, if not nationwide. Insultingly enough he went on and announced that his soldiers can rape under Martial Law. He claimed that his Martial Law will be much harsh compared to Macoy’s. Imagine that Manong, the fear in the eyes of our Martial Law survivors coming back to haunt them upon hearing these words from Duterte. If indeed he’s keen in protecting our sovereignty against invasion, then why not declare Martial Law on Sabah or any of our disputed territory like Scarborough.
A month after the declaration, the city of Marawi was leveled to the ground leaving hundreds lost lives coming from both sides leaving thousands of Moro’s displaced. Deaths include friendly fire and civilian casualties caused by their so-called surgical bombings. Surgical bombing Manong Kissak to our own analogy is a trial and error method wherein armed forces will drop bombs in residential area with the hopes that it will hit its mark.
Manong Kissak, it is with heavy heart that we will inform you that our bureaucracy is slowly being militarized with the recent appointments of army generals to Duterte’s cabinet. And like that of Macoy’s Martial Law, there is also an indirect control with curtailment to information being dished out to the concerned and worried Filipino populace. News and information gets fabricated by the government itself. Journalists and various media outfits get harassed and labeled, if not put under duress in our social media by no less than the paid trolls plaguing the web.
But there is hope Manong! In the recently concluded Bar examinations, it yielded more than a thousand new breed of lawyers. Passing rate was 56.6%, the highest in history. This sudden spike of number of passers is what we theorized as the implied response of the Judiciary to the looming abuse of power being employed by the Executive. We can hear our Judiciary shouting “We need more lawyers! Lawyers to defend humans, dignity, rights and candid to humane justice system. We need Human Rights Lawyers!”
We are pleased to inform you Manong, that three of our brothers in Assumption Libraries passed the Bar. Jerry was elected as UB School of Law Vice Governor, while yours truly fell short during the election. But hey, with our growing number, the Paralegal Volunteers Organization (PVO), an institute of law students in Baguio where you once spearheaded, will breathe life again. We are lucky that we are being mentored by battle tested cerebral professors all products of PVO just like you Manong.
A year may have already passed since your demise. Yet, we still look up to you for guidance. The road going to the pantheon of great lawyers is difficult and dangerous. But with the path which you already have paved for us, hurdling these challenges will be forgiving. Though you’re not around already, your teachings and wisdom shall serve as our guiding light navigating inside the torturous tunnel of law school while helping others who are in need along the way until the very end.
