word from the wise

The Government and I did not see eye to eye, as usual.  Or more accurately, counsel from the government and I did not.  He casually said “dismissed” and “(weak) evidence” and I worried that the ‘clients’ would lose heart.  Apparently (and uncharacteristically), my worry (lost heart?) showed, and was immediately sensed by the ‘clients’.

 

Our jeep crawling through the highway of unforgiving sun, I was jolted from my confused thoughts of dry statutory provisions by a word from “Commissioner” –  

 

“Huwag kang mag-alalala, gracevill, kaming mga katutubo ay hindi papatalo sa iisang papel.”  (Don’t worry, gracevill, we, indigenous peoples will not be defeated by a mere scrap of paper.”)  

 

Shortly thereafter, the jeep-ful of cheerful old men and two strong ladies, dropped me off at a gas station, where this girl took the bus to Manila.  The orange sun, to my left, was blazing and low on the horizon.  Tomorrow, it shall be on the right again, rising.

girl, like the title to a pedro almodovar movie

What was it? The distress call that required legal action asap? Questions and messages pouring in at five-second intervals? On top of technical issues, the expectation to catalogue, audit, keep an inventory? That the good soldier grins and bears things? That the good and wise swallow things that needed to be swallowed because the condition could not be otherwise? That after all these years, denial is still the name of the game, or at best, hope? Or, the decision, that she would not do anything to alter what is; and then to bear things and grin.

steel surreal

Managed to forget about waste of precious natural resource by way of leaking faucet because of news from up north about a client having been arrested for illegal possession of firearm.  Strange, our conversation went.  “Councilor, where are you?”  “Here at the PD, attorney.  I’m okay…”  “You have the right to remain silent and to have counsel of your own choice…” “It’s okay, I’m okay, I can do this…”  “Who is with you?”  “The Provincial Director… I’m okay, attorney…”  “I’ll call you back?”  “Yes, attorney, i just stepped out and am heading back to S…”  “Ok.  Bye…” 

Five seconds later…

“Councilor, I cannot emphasize enough… you have the right to remain silent and to have counsel with you if you’re being interrogated…” “I’m okay now, attorney, i can fix this…”  “Are you sure?”  “Yes, attorney.  Thank you.” 

What could my phone call have accomplished when client is approximately seven hours away on fair weather?

(Client has license, but without permit to carry.)

Mission accomplished (?), but, there was still the matter of the leaking faucet.  Queries from the friendly neighborhood store did not produce results, i.e., still no trustworthy plumber in sight, much less, the Desperate Housewives kind.  And so… I had to make do with the office landlady’s son, who, in his inebriated state, pulled their jeep out of the driveway, called on his friend, who just happened to be standing on the street, and drove our strange trio to my home sweet home.

We were crawling through Teachers Village and I was trying to calm myself.  The two men couldn’t possibly do anything horrible at such a busy time of day, I tried to convince myself.  Besides, lots of people were still out… “This is where you live?  This place is crawling with drug addicts!  Don’t take this route at night…” was the office’s landlady’s son’s (LS) advice.

In under fifteen minutes, the faucet was fixed.  We stopped at an intersection on the way back to the office.  “Do you see the girl in the jeep?” LS asked pointing to a girl in a tank top.  “She’s my ex…”  LS and his friend guffawed. 

“Do you see the wake over there?”  LS asked me again.  He did not wait for an answer and said, “That is the wake of B… the worst drug pusher here… and in all the world!”  LS and his friend laughed again.  “Let’s pass by the place!,” they both agreed.  Thankfully, we just sped past.

The lengths we’ll go through to have peace of mind and to conserve water.

Sometimes, I just don’t know why I do the things that I do.

from up

Yes, Your Honor, call me “neneng” any time of the day, in open court or in chambers, over the phone or in front of community partners, network organizations, colleagues, court personnel, the media even – it’s all good.  

The fact remains that human rights protected by the Constitution must prevail and they do.  The fact is, justice prevails today although it’s uncertain for how long.  We will come up with correct and more clever ways and that’s a promise.  In the meantime, we shall seize the day and enjoy the view from here. 

Dear Lord, thank you for making plans realities and for giving more than what was hoped for.  Thank you for tomorrow.

(Photo courtesy of Jackie & Roxy)

spinning in place

From school to the bar to applications to work to work to work to passing to work to work and to work again.  And now, here I am.  This year, I only submitted “accomplishment reports” and have just submitted a “work plan” now that half the year has gone.  So bad.  Gotta take vitamins.  And long walks.  Learn from last year and celebrate mother’s and father’s birthdays and own birthday at home.  Must take time to be with friends, partake of good food, at a warm sunny place away from the harsh truth of work, and just be.  Next time, will write in complete sentences. 

the baby elephant with big ears

I have recently reaffirmed what I had always suspected.  And so, I decide, now, that there must be limits or else there will be nothing left.  Even with work.  Most especially with work.  If I were dealing with Hannibal Lecter I would be breakfast, not even lunch, definitely not dinner.  This makes me sad.  My mother was right, intelligent is different from smart.  I  really should listen to Aimee Mann and take her advice.

I feel like Elisabeth Shue to Val Kilmer disguised as some saint in The Saint.   Pero buti pa si Elisabeth Shue sa movie, it had to take more than a perfect sentence in English delivered in the nicest of tones, before she handed over the Secret Formula (or whatever top secret thing she was in possession of).  I cringe and I mentally hit my forehead against the wall!  (OA na, so I’ll stop here.)