The Path Towards Greatness (Youth Series #2)

12

#TPTG12

My eyes were glued on our prof as she shuffle the index cards on her hands. I swallowed hard as I stare at it. I tried my best to recall everything that I've studied for the past few days. The room is akwardly silent and I can clearly hear my heart pounding inside my chest. I can feel the tension rising in the air.

Hindi matatago ang nerbyos at kaba naming lahat. Even I, feel nervous and anxious. My stomach is turning upside down. I am confident that I'll answer whatever the question is because I read and understand the cases thoroughly.

"Miss Guevarra," she called

Her voice echoed inside my ear. Nanatiling blanko ang mukha niya habang nakatingin sa'kin. Nakahinga ng maluwag ang katabi ko.

I rose from my seat and remained calm. Hindi ko inalis ang paningin ko sa kanya habang binabasa niya ang tanong.

"At about 5:30am of September 15, 2019 Police Senior Inspector Officer A of the Manila Police District Station received a text message from an unidentified civillian informer that one Mr. Z would be meeting up later that morning with two potential sellers of drugs at a nearby restaurant. As such, Officer A decided to hang around the said place immediately. At about 9:15am, two male passengers. Named A and Y, who were carrying a traveling bag, alighted from a bus in front of the restaurant. A transport barker, serving as a lookout for Officer A, signaled to the latter that X and Y were "suspicious-looking." As the two were about to enter the restaurant, Officer A stopped them and asked about the contents of their bags. Dissatisfied with their response that the bags contained only clothes. Officer A proceeded to search the bags and found packs of shabu therein. Thus, X and Y were arrested, and the drugs were seized from them. According to Officer A, a warrantless search was validly made pursuant to the stop and frisk rule hence the consequent seizure of the drugs was likewise valid."

After listening to the question, I took my time to analyze it. I remembered I read a case similar to that.

"Was the stop and frisk rule validly invoked by Officer A? If not, what is the effect on the drugs seized as evidence?"

I took a deep breath before answering. "It was not valid ma'am."

Her brows furrowed. "How so?"

"Stop and frisk serves a two-fold interest. Number one, crime prevention and detection. Number two, safety and self-preservation of the police officer. While probable cause is not required to conduct a stop and frisk, it nevertheless holds that mere suspicion or a hunch will not validate a stop and frisk," I paused

Tahimik lang siya habang nakikinig sa'kin. I can't read her facial expressions. I don't know if I'm answering everything right but I still kept going.

"Morever, a genuine reason must exist, in light of the police officer's experience and surrounding conditions, to warrant the belief that the person has weapons concealed about him. According to Article three section 3 of the Constitution, since the drug seized was a product of unlawful search and seizure, the same is inadmissible in evidence against X and Y."

She nodded and wrote something on my index card. "Thank you, you may sit down."

Pagkaupo na pagkaupo ko ay nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Glad that's over.

I don't know what my grade is but I hope I pass. I'm praying that I pass. Every recitation matters to me. Every recit counts. Malaking puntos iyon sa grades ko.

She then started to shuffle the cards again.

"Mister Eric Torres. Stand up," she called

Tumingin ako sa katabi ko na ngayon ay napapikit nalang. Huminga siya ng malalim at unti-unting tumayo.