A moving Experience

**** This was written a few weeks back***

When a classmate asked me if I would like to attend a para-legal seminar, I readily agreed thinking that it would help me understand the course that I'm taking and to know how things take place in the legal profession. It was all about academic purposes that I was after since we had good speakers to begin with.

Day 1: Indoor Seminar

I was not used to wake up early morning so I dragged myself up inorder not to be late that morning. The day started very well as one of the speakers ( a female prosecutor) recalled to us the process of filing a complaint and other pleadings in criminal cases. It was indeed very helpful because she explained it very well that I actually learned quite the same amount of info's in that amount of time with the info's I got from 6 months of going to school! At the middle of the seminar, I realized that doing para-legal is a very exciting but tedious job. We had several speakers who imparted their very vast knowledge of laws and jurisprudence. All in all, it was a fruitful first day out of two day seminar. Then, before we about to depart, one of the moderators (an RTC judge and a professor), told us that he expected our commitment to this program. That somehow alarmed me since I know, it would eat a lot of my time.

Day 2: The trip

We were told the day before that we're going to have several trips from Talomo Police station to Davao City jail. In talomo, the police forces oriented us on the procedures from arresting criminals to putting them in jail. I personally was intimated seeing the inmates for the first time. There was about 11 of them in that jail, composed of men around their 50's or 40's, some about my age and others were younger than I am. But later on, when they talked to us about their condition, I felt sad about their plight. The food was limited, the place was not conducive and worst, some of them were forgotten by their loved ones.

After the Talomo visit, our bus went to the City jail. It was my first time. I only see jails on tv and movies so the first actual experience to be "inside" was quite tense. Our group leader led us to the women's area. I'm surprised. Really. The place is far from a prison. It was more of a housing compound composed of small colorful houses piling neatly at the middle surrounding with flowers and vegetable gardens. The women in that place performed songs and dances for us. As I was listening to the songs, I realized that they are happy to see us thinking that maybe, we paralegals, law students and future lawyers put in one could somehow help them in their plight. I saw the glimmer of hope in their eyes when we were introduced to them. I saw that they welcomed us and felt their desperate needs in their cases. It was sad that most of these women's case are drug-related. No, they are not addicts but they were charged as pushers and for selling prohibited drugs. To my mind, there was no other reason that led these women to drugs but poverty. I was right. It is mostly the reason why as told by our moderators. Now, you may argue that the means does not justify the end but seriously, who are we to judge?

After our visit to the women's area, we went to the men's. This time, it was the exact opposite. The jails seemed congested as seen from the outside. The inmates were grouped depending on the cases their faced with. To my mind I said, "Now, this is prison". As the jailwarden talked to us, he was very compassionate about the difficulties that the inmates are facing. He humbly welcomed us for any help that we can give. He asked as to be understanding and not to be judgemental. We never stayed long in the men's cell since we were running out of time and we were supposed to go to court for the procedures but due to time constraint, the trip was cancelled. After our lunch, they assigned our cases to us. We were grouped in teams and each team is composed of two individuals. Me and my teammate Mik were given two cases, one was a drug case and the other an estafa case.

Honestly, I am not sure if I would be of help to these women. Ofcourse, our aim here is not to set them free or acquitt them (for those proven guilty) but to give what is due to them under the law. The cases given to us are for those who could not afford lawyers much more to file bond. It is disheartening to see them desperate for help. I hope that in coming weeks after my exam, I'd be able to visit and talk to my client. I really wish i could be of help.