Chronicles Revealed

Chapter 11: The Witness

We arrived before nine in the morning, Mama, Ronald, Andy and me.  Undeniably, we were both excited and concerned over what PO3 Berdin was going to tell us but we tried to rein in our feelings at that time, give a poker face in order not to make ourselves appear vulnerable to nasty intentions.  We've seen how they operate and dealing with them requires exercise of maximum prudence and caution at all times.

There's always a trap or bait somewhere with these guys.  That is why they like so much the terms buy-bust and entrapment operation as well as tokhang, the latest addition to their vocabulary. Therefore, you have to be extra careful with what you say or show to them or you are toast. They are quite good at it. They don't want to solve crimes. They just want to make some money along the way. It is hard work to protect and serve, not to mention the extreme danger that goes with it. There has to be commensurate compensation to what they do.

We sat on a bench at the reception area of the police station as we waited for the desk officer who was attending to someone to be free. When the person he was talking to left, I approached the desk officer and told him we had an appointment with P03 Berdin. We were trying to be as polite and as likable as possible.

Oh, yes. He told me about your coming a few minutes ago. He's in the office of the police chief right now. Wait here I'll inform him that you have arrived. Please wait, he will be coming out in a few minutes, the desk officer told me upon returning to his desk.

Indeed, a few minutes after, a police officer came out of the office of the police chief. He was in his early thirties but already showing noticeable progress in his belly. Apparently, he had been briefed about us since he went to us directly as if he knew everything about us already.

Sir. Ma'am, I'm PO3 Joe Berdin. Are you the parents of the victim? And he went on to describe some circumstances of our son's case.

Yes, we are.

I was the one who called you. I am now handling your son's case.

Nice to meet you, officer, I replied. I believe you have a material update on the case of our son?

Sorry, I wasn't able to communicate with you about the transfer of your son's case to me. I have reviewed the documents and I could not find any updates on the case. It means it has not moved at all. Nobody seems to have read them. My predecessor wasn't too particular about orderly filing and I had a hard time looking for the files of your son's case in his topsy-turvy record safekeeping way. This is regrettable but be assured I'll be in communication with you more often from here on.

Is he trying to impress me? Never mind the adlib, get to the point!, I thought. PO3 Berdin was rather talkative or was he a con man?

Yes sir, I have a significant development to tell you. You might not have to wait too long for the solution of your son's killing. Justice is at hand. I know what both of you have been going through. The pain of losing your son, the uncertainties of justice can be unbearable. But suffer no more! We will have the perpetrator or perpetrators locked in jail soon.

Ma'am, sir, I am very happy to inform you that we found a witness to the killing of your son. It was a break that came from heaven for us, for you. Miracles do happen. I am not saying our cases are solved because of divine intervention. It's not that. Sometimes strange things happen in our line of work that we can only be thankful of, PO3 Berdin expressed as if in feverish excitement

The other night we arrested a Mario Parilla in a drug den raid. We did not catch him in the act of using or selling illegal drug but we arrested him for illegal possession of a bladed weapon. We gave him a drug test later and he was positive of drug use. I am telling you this because yesterday Mr. Parilla told us that he knows who killed your son and he is willing to testify, make an affidavit, provided, however, that you give him money to pay for his bail.