#CYECChapter20

"IS everybody alright if we start with the witness?" the judge asked. Everybody nodded so she spoke again. "Alright, Attorney Tadeo, please call your witness."

A middle-aged woman who was sitting right in front of me was called in by the prosecutor.

The judge cleared her throat. "Raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm that all the testimony you're about to give will be the truth? If so, say I do."

"I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth," the middle-aged woman declared.

Tumango 'yong judge saka kalmadong nagsalita ulit. "Alright, have a seat. State your name, and spell your last name, please."

"Benilda Salvadenico. Last name, S-A-L-V-A-D-E-N-I-C-O," the witness said and then Attorney Tadeo, the prosecutor, started questioning her.

"How long did you know Ms. Chasryl Aserra?" Attorney Tadeo asked.

"Matagal na ho. Mga pitong taon na."

"Are you employed?" tanong pa ulit ni Attorney Tadeo.

Umiling si Mrs. Benilda. "Dalawang taon na po akong walang trabaho."

The prosecutor nodded, walking back and forth in front of the witness.

"If you're unemployed for that long, how often have you seen Ms. Aserra, given that you are her neighbor?"

"Lagi ko po siyang nakikita. Halos araw-araw po," saglit siyang huminto. "Tuwing 5AM ay lumalabas siya ng bahay niya para mag-jogging, tapos madalas naman po ang uwi niya ay 8PM. Pero minsan hindi 8PM kasi paiba-iba rin po minsan ang uwi niya dahil may mga lakad rin siya."

"How long have you been Ms. Aserra's neighbor?"

"Pitong taon po. Sa gano'n katagal ay alam ko rin na minsan lang umuwi ang mga magulang niya dahil palaging nasa ibang bansa. Ang kapatid niya naman ay tuwing bakasyon lang nakakauwi dahil nasa kolehiyo pa."

"So, you're saying that Chasryl is living in that house all by herself, am I right?"

"Opo," sagot ni Mrs. Benilda, madiin ang pagkakasabi niya no'n at halatang alam na alam niya ang mga gano'ng bagay tungkol kay Chas.

"Is Chasryl Aserra always on time for work?"

"Ay oo naman po. Bihirang ma-late 'yon."

"Has Chasryl Aserra missed work this year?"

"Opo."

"How many times?"

"Dalawang linggo ko na po siyang hindi nakikitang lumalabas ng bahay niya. Lagi rin bukas ang ilaw sa kuwarto niya kapag nandoon siya. Hindi niya iniiwang bukas ang ilaw kapag umaalis siya, kaya alam kong nandoon lang siya sa kuwarto niya."

"Can you tell me the dates on which Ms. Aserra was late or absent?"

"Mula November 28, 2019 po ay nasa bahay lang siya hanggang no'ng December 9, 2019 po. Sigurado po akong nasa bahay lang siya dahil bukas ang ilaw sa kuwarto niya. Pero no'ng kinagabihan po ng December 9 ay nagpatay siya ng ilaw sa kuwarto niya."

"What happened in her house on December 9, 2019?"

"No'ng alas otso ng gabi ay may dalawang nagtatawag sa labas ng gate ng bahay ni Chas. Babae at lalaki. Nagbabasa ako ng diyaryo no'n sa balkonahe ko kaya kitang-kita at rinig na rinig ko sila."

"Do you remember who went to Ms. Aserra's house that night?" Pagkatanong na pagkatanong no'n sa kanya ni Attorney Tadeo ay lumingon kay Sandro si Mrs. Belinda. He's currently sitting there as the defendant.

"Siya po," turo ni Mrs. Belinda kay Sandro kaya napaigting ang panga ni Sandro.

"Nandito rin ba ngayon 'yong kasama niya no'ng gabing 'yon?" tanong ni Attorney Tadeo kay Mrs. Belinda.

Dahan-dahang lumingon sa 'kin si Mrs. Belinda at itinuro ako.

Tumango-tango si Attorney Tadeo saka muling nagpabalik-balik nang lakad sa harapan ni Mrs. Belinda.

"Can you please tell us what happened next, Mrs. Belinda?"

Lumunok nang malalim si Mrs. Belinda bago nagsalita. "Nakailang tawag po sila sa pangalan ni Chas pero hindi po sila nilalabas ni Chas. Nagtataka nga rin ako kung bakit 'yong ilaw lang sa labas ng main door 'yong bukas. Eh nasa kuwarto si Chas. Kaya nagtataka talaga ako na walang ilaw no'n sa kuwarto niya kahit alam kong nandoon siya." Huminto siya saglit. "Tapos umakyat 'yong lalaki sa gate at pinagbuksan 'yong kasama niya. Doon ako nagsimulang mag-alala kasi bakit kailangan nilang gawin 'yon? Sa edad nila ay inasahan kong kaibigan sila ni Chas, lalo na sa unipormeng suot nila. Kapareho kasi nila ng uniporme si Chas. Lagi kong nakikita na gano'n ang suot ni Chas kapag papasok sa trabaho. Pero napaisip ako, kung kaibigan sila ni Chas ay bakit kailangan nilang akyatin 'yong gate at ipagpilitang pasukin 'yong bahay ni Chas?"

"So that's when you started to think that something's off, right?" the prosecutor asked.

"Objection, Your Honor, the question calls for speculation," Attorney Dela Fuente, the defense attorney, said.

Kanina ko pa hinihintay na magsalita si Attorney Dela Fuente, and his timing was just right. Naramdaman ko ang paghawak ni Adam sa kamay ko at marahan niyang pinisil ito.

"Objection sustained," the judge declared.

Kahit gano'n ay hindi ko magawang makahinga nang maluwag. Nag-aalala ako sa kung ano mang kahihinatnan ng kaso ni Sandro.

"What did you see, Mrs. Benilda? What did you hear when they entered the house?" pag-iiba ng tanong ni Attorney Tadeo.

"Nakarinig ako nang nagsisigawan. 'Yong sigaw ni Chas takot na takot. Ang narinig ko mismo na isinigaw niya ay stay away from me!"

"What the hell? Hindi lang 'yon ang isinigaw ni Chas. She also said that I deserve to die," inis na sabi ko. Gusto kong sumigaw dito at kumontra sa sinabi niya dahil hindi niya sinabi 'yong buo.

Mas humigpit ang hawak ni Adam sa kamay ko para pakalmahin ako.

They asked the defense attorney to cross-examine the witness. As the questioning started, Attorney Dela Fuente asked Mrs. Belinda of questions that I think will result as a good point for Sandro.

"Mrs. Belinda, you mentioned that you were very sure that you've seen their faces, Ciem's face and the defendant's face, that night in front of Ms. Aserra's house."

Tumango si Mrs. Belinda. "Sigurado po talaga ako."

Tumango-tango rin si Attorney Dela Fuente. "But the street lights were not even functioning that night. Isa lang 'yong gumagana. And that wasn't enough to identify someone's faces that's fifteen meters away from you. So, how are you so sure of what you've seen that night?" he said, a playful smile escaped his lips.

"Objection, Your Honor, argumentative," biglang sabi ni Attorney Tadeo.

"Objection overruled," saad no'ng judge kaya napaigting ang panga ni Attorney Tadeo at napangiti naman si Attorney Dela Fuente.

Attorney Dela Fuente submitted the evidence stating the absence of street lights that night.

Attorney Dela Fuente called in a police officer. He handed him a flash drive and submitted it in court as an evidence. As they started presenting it in front, Attorney Dela Fuente continued questioning Mrs. Belinda.

"You mentioned that you know when Ms. Chasryl is at home kapag nakabukas ang ilaw sa kuwarto niya. At sinabi mo rin kanina na mula November 28 hanggang December 9 ay sigurado kang nasa bahay lang si Ms. Chas," saad niya. Tumango naman si Mrs. Belinda.

People gasped when Attorney Dela Fuente showed us a CCTV footage. "But this footage tells a different story. Ms. Chasryl was caught walking around in different subdivisions on November 28 to December 8 every 7PM to 11PM. And on December 9, she was walking around your village at 6PM to 7PM. You were claiming that you saw the defendant with Ms. Ciem in front of Ms. Chasryl's house on December 9 at 8PM. And you were also claiming that Ms. Chasryl never went out of her house." A grin escaped his lips.

"The fact that you didn't know that Ms. Chasryl was going out of her house is enough to prove that you are not telling us the truth, Mrs. Belinda. Because you, yourself, doesn't know what really happened."

I let out a sigh of relief when Attorney Dela Fuente said that. "It's enough to convince the judge to invalidate Mrs. Belinda's testimony, right?" tanong ko kay Adam. Nag-isip siya saglit at hindi kumibo.

The cross examination continued, and the prosecutor doesn't stop until he gets what he wants—convict Sandro of murder.

"Why is he so obsessed to convict Sandro of murder? It wasn't murder. He didn't commit murder. I was there," inis kong sabi, katamtaman lang ang lakas para marinig ni Adam na katabi ko.

"I know. It was defense of a stranger," Adam commented. Exactly. I may not be a law student like him, but I'm not that ignorant to not know what defense of a stranger means.

"If they're going to charge him for something, it could be homicide. Pero defense of a stranger. Reversed trial ang mangyayari," dagdag pa ni Adam. Tumango lang ako at hindi umimik. Itinuon ko kay Sandro ang paningin ko.

Today, I'll be standing in this trial as a witness. And it worries me so bad, thinking that only one wrong word from me could get Sandro in trouble. Sa totoo lang, he already is in trouble because of me.

Because he defended me . . .

Because he saved me . . .

I was about to lose hope in this case, but Attorney Dela Fuente submitted an evidence that has made me cover my mouth with my own two hands.

F*ck. This is a strong evidence that could possibly save Sandro from being convicted of murder.

Hindi ko inaasahan ang nalaman ko. Para bang nanigas ako sa kinauupuan ko at hindi talaga ako makapaniwala.

It was another CCTV footage wherein Chas was caught killing ten residents of different subdivisions where she walks around every night, and Attorney Dela Fuente supported the evidence by another evidence that made us all gasp in shock and disbelief.

It was a medical record of Chas, stating that she's a psychopath.

Hindi matanggap ng sistema ko ang mga nangyayari.

Nakapanghihina.

I saw the signs when we were together, but I completely ignored it. I thought it was just normal for her to exaggerate all her reactions and emotions. I even caught her copying Sandro's smile.

I'm still processing what the f*ck just happened, but Attorney Dela Fuente called me in to testify. 

___

10 chapters to go before the Epilogue :)))

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