"19 sachets of suspected cocaine, 19 ecstasy capsules, four ecstasy tablets, a sachet of high-grade marijuana, a .38-caliber revolver, five rounds of ammunition, buy-bust money worth P22,500, and drug paraphernalia!"
Napangiwi kami nang kabiglang sumigaw sa galit ang head namin.
"AND OF ALL PEOPLE KAYONG TATLO PA ANG NANDOON!"
Tiningnan ko ang mga kasama kong nasa loob ng kwarto.
There was Aubrielle and of course, Andrius. Lahat kami ay mga nakayuko na akala mo mga paslit na pinagagalitan ng magulang.
"DALAWANG PROSECUTOR AT ISANG JUDGE NASANGKOT SA PAGDRODROGA! JUSKO! PINAGPIPIYESTAHAN NA KAYO NG PUBLIKO!"
It was a fact, though.
After ng ma-raid ang lugar kagabi, napakaraming nahuli at nakompiskang mga droga. May baril pa nga na mga na-kumpiska.
Pero awa ng Diyos, nai-release rin naman kami wala pang ilang oras ang nakararaan nang mapatunayang wala kaming kinalaman sa kahit na ano mang transaksyon o paggamit ng droga sa party.
Pero nang pumutok ang balita kinaumagahan at nasa unahan pa talaga kaming tatlo ng bawat litrato na kumalat sa social media, dinagsa kami ng mga kritisismo at kahit si Cliford na may magandang imahe sa publiko ay hindi nakatakas.
"Ano po bang problema?" Aubrielle asked. "We tested negative for drugs. Wala kaming kinalaman doon."
"I know," our head said. "We even released a counter article and a press statement pero ayaw tanggapin ng publiko. Naturingan kayong mga alagad ng batas pero may krimen nang nangyayari sa paligid ninyo, wala pa rin kayong alam!"
Napangiwi ako lalo.
Paano namin malalaman lahat? May super powers ba kami?
"Then what should we do?" Aubrielle asked. "Ganyan naman kung minsan ang publiko. Sa sobrang stressful ng buhay, humahanap nalang sila ng ibang bagay na mapagtatapunan ng inis. Lilipas din 'yan."
"I'm afraid, for now, it won't," our head said.
"Po?" I asked.
"You guys are currently trending on twitter," he said. "Aside from that, napakaraming petisyon na ang nagawa tungkol sa inyo."
"What petition was that?" Andrius asked.
Our superior sighed.
"To fire you."
My eyes widened.
"Hindi po ba unfair sa 'min 'yan?" Aubrielle asked. "I mean, biktima rin po kami so bakit kailangan naming mawalan ng trabaho? Napatunayan nang inosente kami at walang illegal na droga sa dugo. So para saan itong hate train for us?"
"The public is way powerful than what you think."
"And we'll let them ignore the facts?" Aubrielle asked.
"Hindi ninyo naiintindihan," sabi nito. "Ang publiko ang nagpapa sweldo sa 'tin. At sila ang nagbibigay ng kapangyarihan sa 'tin. Ni re-representa lamang natin sila sa gobyerno."
"But that's a clear injustice," I said. "Won't it be ironic if we'll get fired just to please the public regardless of the truth? Ano po ba ang pinahahalagahan natin dito? Our image or the law?"
"The truth depends on who interprets it," our superior said. "And the public thinks your truth is a big fat lie."
Aubrielle scoffed.
"Don't tell me we're fired?" Aubrielle asked. "Nang ganun-ganon lang?"
"Of course, we're giving you options," he said. "A far away city is in need of 1 judge and 2 prosecutors. You guys will fit."
"WHAT?!" Aubrielle exclaimed. "Ipinatatapon na ba ninyo kami?!"
"Don't put it that way, Peosecutor Baxter," he said. "Magpapalamig lang kayo. At kapag okay na ang lahat at nalimutan na ng publiko, babalik na kayo. Sabi mo nga, lilipas din ito."
"Are you sure you're doing this because of the club raid?"
Finally, Andrius talked.
"Or was it because you're throwing me away so I won't influence the ruling for the mayor's son?"
Our superior was rather tensed.
"I-It's not that way," he said.
"Of course, it is. Just as I expected it," Andrius uttered. "Indeed, there is someone above the law especially if the people who pledged to protect it decided to take advantage of it."
He smiled bitterly.
"Seems like I am the only problem here. You are throwing me away to create a chilling effect to make me one of the political side's puppet, am I right?"
Our superior just avoided his eyes.
"Let's not complicate things, 'wag na ninyo silang idamay. Let them stay," he said. "I'll resign."
My eyes widened, so did Aubrielle's.
"Judge Blake, i-it wasn't like that—"
"I'll be handing you over my resignation tomorrow," he coldly said. "I'll just go get my things."
Without uttering anything, he turned his back and walked away.
Aubrielle and I exchanged eye contacts.
"Judge Blake! Judge Blake saglit—"
They got halted when the door suddenly swinged open.
Just then, a man who was wearing a formal suit and eyeglasses came in.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlement. I'm so sorry for not knocking."
We all looked at him.
Sino 'to?
The guy smiled at us and looked at our superior.
"Sila na ba itong mga ipapadala mo?"
Our superior was shocked.
"Ikaw ba si...?"
The guy just smiled at him.
We looked at him.
"Ipapadala?" tanong ko. "So decided na pala 'to bago pa kami i-inform?"
Our superior looked away.
There was an awkward pause of silence.
"Anyway," the guy said, breaking the ice. "It's nice meeting you all. I hope we can get a long in the job. Medyo malayo ang lugar pero mababait naman ang mga tao. Dala n'yo na ba mga maleta n'yo? Aalis na tayo ng alas dose kung gusto ninyo."
Ang lakas ng tama neto ah.
"Look, here, mister," said by Andrius. "We never told you we accepted the job."
"I didn't ask you because I'm not giving you any option," he said and smiled. "Kailangan namin kayo."
"Mawalang galang na po ha," Aubrielle said. "Sino ka ba?"
The guy laughed.
"Oh, I'm so sorry for not introducing myself."
Kinuha n'ya ang wallet n'ya at isa-isa kaming inabutan ng business cards.
Nang tingnan ko ang nakasulat ay nanlaki mga mata ko.
TOTOO BA 'TO?!"
"I used to be part of the Department 32 of the Civil and Criminal Prosecution Department," sabi nito.
Ngumiti siya.
"Ngayon, I work as a public defender in Public Attorney's Office or PAO."
We looked at him with dumfounded eyes.
"I am also one of the founding members of the first league of prosecutors who aimed to catch the culprit of countless manslaughters in small towns. We were called as the Death Chasers."
He met each and everyone's baffled yet impressed eyes.
"I am Prosecutor Newt Dahmer."
He smiled.
"Miss me?"
BINABASA MO ANG
"Kill Me, Attorney." (Law Series #3)
Romance[PUBLISHED UNDER LIB] #3. "If I won't have you then might as well kill me, attorney."
