CASTIEL

IF THERE was a perfect opportunity to turn things around, now would be the time. If we would not do anything drastic, everything we gained from Oplan First Lady would go down the drain. There was a hole in our ship. It was getting bigger, allowing more water to enter. If we could not plug it in time, our ship would sink to the bottom of the sea.

"We're losing the impeachment trial and the court of public opinion," Helene told us during our meeting in the USC office's conference room a day before the third hearing. Kanina pa niya minamasahe ang kaniyang sentido. "If we can't convince the student body in the next hearing that you deserve to be retained, your expulsion from this office will be inevitable."

"I really believe that they timed the release of that audio clip during our turn at the witness stand." Valeria folded her arms across her chest. Gaya ng nakasanayan, nasa kanan siya ni Priam habang ako'y nasa kaliwa. "Hindi nila agad inilabas 'yon para ma-caught off guard at magisa tayo nang todo."

"We can't put the genie back in the bottle," I commented with a frustrated sigh. Damn that Alaric the Prick! He would not run out of tricks. "What we can do is counter or deflect their next attacks."

"They will most likely present the certification proving that the recording is authentic. Once they do, that's going to be the final nail in the coffin." Helene clicked her tongue thrice. "Tatapatin ko na kayo. Hindi ko na alam kung paano tayo makapagka-come back mula ro'n. It's very damning evidence, and it's enough to convince more students to oust you."

"So it's going to be a checkmate, huh?" I muttered. "The match is already decided."

I did not want to even entertain this thought, but I had to hand it to Alaric the Prick for orchestrating this brilliant scheme. He took away our ally from CAS and replaced her with his own pawn. He then strategically timed the release of the audio clip. He also gagged Fabienne through one of his minions in the Repertory Theater to lower our chances of turning public opinion in our favor.

The First Lady could speak a bit more freely now—thanks to her own clever maneuvering—but it might be a bit late for her to save us. The game would be over in one or two moves. Checkmate is imminent.

"How inevitable is our ousting?" Priam asked. He rested his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. "Do we have any fighting chance at all?"

"At this rate, I'd put it at ninety percent." Helene chewed her lower lip. "The only way to change those numbers is by disputing the evidence, which we supposedly can't, given the givens."

The president flicked his gaze to us. "I do not want to sound defeatist, but is resignation on the table? I'm considering stepping aside with whatever dignity we have left. Being impeached by the LEXECOM and being voted out by the students seem more humiliating than stepping down."

"I thought so, too." Val nodded. "Mas mabuti yata kung uunahan na natin ang hatol sa atin. May matitira pa tayong dignidad kaysa tuluyan tayong pabagsakin at pagtatadyakan hanggang sa hindi na tayo makabangon. We can spin the narrative like we want to avoid further division in the student body—"

"No, no one's going to resign," I cut her off as I shook my head. "At this point, resignation means admission no matter how we spin the story. We better fight until the bitter end than wave the white flag. The odds are against us, but I'd rather take the risk with our chances."

"But Cas, can't you see it?" Val asked with a resigned look on her face. "It's over. No matter how slim the chances are, they're not going to magically improve tomorrow or in the coming days. This is it. We can't be in denial any longer."

"We still have Fabienne," I reminded them, darting my gaze between my two fellow officers. "Just give her a couple of days to change minds. Her voice has weight. The students will listen to her—"

"Here we go again," Priam interjected. Heto na naman siya. "I told you that I do not want her dragged into this mess. She has already suffered and done enough for us. Let's not place our salvation in her hands. Let's not burden her anymore."

"She can't save us, Cas," Val added with a slow shake of her head. "We're the only ones who can save ourselves. Also, Priam has already made his position quite clear. Irespeto natin 'yon."

She's right. No, not about Fabienne being unable to save us, but about us saving our own skin.

It has come to this point, then.

"You still have me," I blurted out in a serious tone. Palipat-lipat sa kanila ang tingin ko. They looked at me with bewilderment written on their faces.

"You have already done enough, Cas," Priam replied. "I appreciate your efforts in keeping us afloat throughout this ordeal. But Val may be right. This is it. We need to weigh our options and choose the one that will allow us to leave with a bit of our dignity."

I let out a soft chuckle. "You seem to misunderstand what I've said. What I meant is you can use me as a sacrificial lamb."

"What?!"

"Are you serious?"

I gave them a firm nod. There was no one else who could play that role better. I was the one who created this mess. I was the one who dragged them into this mess. So I must be the one to clean up the mess. I had it coming anyway. It was only a matter of time.

"My priority is to help you keep the throne," I added. "I will do whatever it takes to make that happen, even if I have to sacrifice myself. Besides, I have already offered my resignation twice, and twice you rejected it. Now's probably the best time to accept it. Let me take the bullet for you."

"But you're an integral part of this council!" Val almost yelled at me, slamming her palms on the table. "Hindi puwedeng mawala ka rito!"

"Don't worry, I won't be gone for real," I assured her. "I will still be here for you, rooting for you, and guiding you from the sidelines. But I may have to distance myself from the council. Ayaw kong mamantsahan pa kayo sa dumi na dala-dala ko."

Being an outsider would diminish my direct influence over the council, but I was confident that they would either seek or heed my advice. Puwede ko pang ipagpatuloy ang laban kay Alaric the Prick mula sa labas. Magkakaroon ng pagbabago, pero hindi sobrang laki.

"What do you think?" Val turned to the president. "Are you willing to let him go even if he will be more effective inside than outside?"

Priam only shot me a lingering stare. Any student officer who wanted to salvage their image and fight for their political survival would agree with me in a heartbeat. Who wouldn't want a scapegoat that could instantly solve their problems, right? But Priam was not one of them. My bold declaration must have given him a dilemma for a minute.

"You want to teach me a lesson, right? You want to hold me accountable? This presents the perfect opportunity." I pushed further just in case he was having second thoughts. "I told you, didn't I? I will get us out of this mess. I wish there were any other viable options, but this is the only way where I can take the heat off you."

"Wait." Helene held up her right hand. "How do you intend to execute this whole accountability thing? Plano mo bang mag-hold ng press conference at i-announce doon ang admission at resignation mo?"

I shook my head. "It may be more effective kung sa mismong impeachment trial gagawin. There's no more perfect stage than there. In the next hearing, Val will be called to the witness stand. That's where she will seemingly throw me under the bus."

"What?" Val knitted her brows. "You want me to do it?"

"Once the recording is deemed authentic, you will confirm that the conversation happened," I explained. "Tell everyone that the whole coercion scheme was my idea alone, that you and especially Priam had no knowledge of it and had nothing to do with it. Tell them that I insisted on resorting to that method and that you begrudgingly let me have it my way."

"But is that enough to convince everyone that the president and VP were clean?" she asked next. "Sa tingin mo ba'y hihinto na ang mga estudyante sa pagde-demand ng accountability lalo na sa mga mas nakatataas sa 'yo?"

"All the student body needs right now is a person to crucify on the cross. They need a pariah, and I will play that role if need be," I answered. "I shall be the bullet-proof vest that will take all the shots for you. They will no longer dig deeper."

Kapag nabasa mo na ang isang tao o isang grupo ng mga tao, madaling malaman kung ano ang katakam-takam sa kanila. That's how Oplan First Lady came into being—because I read that students were craving for some campus romance and intrigues.

"Hmmm..." Helene hummed. "I can't tell you if that's going to work a hundred percent. The LEXECOM may still vote to impeach Priam and Val despite you being thrown under the bus. Kapag gano'n ang nangyari, balewala ang sakripisyo mo."

"At the end of the day, it's the student body's opinion that matters," I countered. "Trust me, once they find out that I masterminded the coercion, they will focus their collective attention and disappointment on me. Of course, not everyone will absolve Priam and Val of the blame, but at least, we can reduce the percentage of students voting to kick them out. All they want is someone to fall on a sword. Once they see it, they will be easily satisfied."

"Again, there's no guarantee that it will work, but it may be worth a try," Helene concluded before turning to the top student council officers in the room. "The question is, are you two on board with his idea? Kailangang nasa same page tayo para coherent ang response natin."

"I'm not sure," Val replied with hesitation in her tone, "but if Cas is willing to do it..."

"It's what Cas said a while ago." Priam finally opened his mouth. "It's all about taking accountability."

"Then this is going to be our gameplan in the next hearing. Let's stick to it and hope for the best."

THE THIRD hearing began. As usual, Priam, Val, Helene, and I were seated on one side while Kayneth alone occupied the other. Napansin ko ang dala-dala niyang folder na posibleng naglalaman ng authentication ng audio clip na kaniyang ipinresent noong isang araw.

As long as there were no more surprises today, everything would unfold exactly as I had predicted. And that would be for the best of the USC. Let my sacrifice be worth it.

"The committee shall resume the impeachment trial," Alaric the Prick said before hitting the gavel. Kompleto na ang mga kasama niyang chairperson. Another CCS-CSC officer took Chevy Serrano's position while CEA-CSC's vice president replaced Eamon Alfonso in the committee. Our audit reports had disrupted the two college student councils, but they were back in shape again. Tch.

"Mister Chair?" Kayneth rose to his feet and grabbed the folder from the table. Binuksan niya 'yon at ipinakita sa amin ang kapirasong papel na nasa loob. Approaching Alaric the Prick's table, he handed over the sheet. "I would like to submit the certification from the university's sound engineer, testifying that the audio clip presented in the previous hearing is original and unedited."

"With this authentication presented, the committee hereby accepts the audio clip as evidence," Alaric the Prick declared. "Now, I would like to call on our next witness, Valeria Encarnacion, vice president of the University Student Council."

"You know what to do," I whispered to her. That's me giving her the dagger that she would stab in me.

Val sprang from her seat and walked toward the witness stand. Everything was now up to her. In some strange way, I felt like a convict who had chosen the death penalty for myself. But I could not push the syringe and perform the lethal injection myself. Someone else had to do it. And she was unluckily chosen to play that part.

"Miss Encarnacion," Kayneth began, "were you present when I played the audio clip retrieved from Serrano's cloud drive?"

"Yes," Val nodded, "I was right there with the USC president."

"Can you confirm to this committee if the conversation we heard from that audio clip did happen?"

She flicked her eyes to me. I gave her a slow nod.

"Yes, the conversation happened between me, Castiel, and Chevy at a restaurant in the food hub."

"Can you also confirm to this committee if there was any attempt to coerce Serrano to vote in favor of the Freedom of Information motion in exchange for not leaking the result of the internal investigation initiated by the USC?"

I shut my eyes, my lips curling into a smirk. There was no reason for me to be sad. In fact, I would feel relieved once the truth was out. Ganito pala ang pakiramdam kapag inako ang isang pagkakamali. Nakagagaan ng loob at nakaluluwag sa dibdib.

Say it, Val. Say my name.

"Yes," Val admitted. "It was actually my idea to coerce Chevy into voting in our favor."

What?! My eyes opened wide. Everyone around me let out a gasp. Some started murmuring like buzzing bees. What on earth is she saying?

"It was your idea?" Kayneth repeated. "Can you explain?"

Val leaned close to the mic. "As the USC vice president and LEXECOM chairperson, I did not want to disappoint the president especially when it came to Freedom of Information, one of his priority bills. So I tried to find a way to ensure that it passes the committee."

What?! My jaw dropped. Why is she going off script? Why is she making that up? I was the one who wanted to ensure that the motion passed! I was the one who came up with the idea. I would not mind her claiming the credit, but not for something that could potentially taint her reputation!

"When Castiel showed me the result of our internal investigation, I saw Chevy Serrano's name in it." Val would not just shut her mouth with her nonsense! "Doon biglang may sumaging idea sa isip ko. Why don't we use it to get what we want? I told Castiel my plan to pressure Chevy, and he reluctantly agreed to it. I didn't tell Priam because I knew that he would oppose. Ayaw niyang gumamit kami ng maruming taktika."

"Did you make any last-minute changes to our game plan?" Helene whispered as she sank into her seat. "If yes, why wasn't I informed before today's hearing?"

"No, there's no change in the game plan. She was supposed to name-drop me," I whispered back. "But right now, Val is ad-libbing. I must correct this mistake—"

I was about to stand, but Helene held me back. "It's too late now. She's already thrown herself on the sword that was meant for you. Kung kokontrahin mo pa siya, lalong gugulo ang sitwasyon. At kapag mas gumulo, mas mawawalan kayo ng credibility. Just let her finish her testimony."

I squeezed my eyes shut again and took some deep breaths. Noong una'y litong-lito ako kung bakit hindi sinusundan ni Val ang script na ibinigay ko sa kaniya. One of my pet peeves was people not following my instructions to the letter. Napakadali ng ipinagagawa ko sa kaniya. Just say my name and pin the blame!

But a minute or two later, clarity descended upon me. She was not taking responsibility to save me from the accountability. She was doing it to protect the president. Besides me, she would defend Priam as fiercely as I would. And this was probably how she intended to do it—by sacrificing herself.

"I cannot let her take the fall," Priam uttered, making me open my eyes again. "If there is someone who needs to take the blame, it must be me—"

Ako naman ang pumigil sa pagtayo niya at pag-interrupt sa testimony ng vice president namin. "Calm down, Priam. Listen to what Helene told me a while ago."

"But I cannot just let her—"

"Val knows what she's doing!" I hissed at him, ensuring our almost-argument went unnoticed. Mabuti't nasa vice president ang atensiyon ng lahat ng mga tao sa room. "She wasn't supposed to say or do any of this, but she did anyway. Let's respect her wishes and discuss this later, okay?"

Priam sat back, averting his gaze while heaving a sigh. Even before the impeachment trial began, he had already considered taking responsibility for the Chevy incident, but we persuaded him not to. He relunctantly obliged. Letting someone else take the fall must have conflicted with his principles.

"I had nothing but good intentions when I thought of that plan. But having good intentions isn't an excuse to do what we want or what we believe is for the best interest of our constituents." Val looked dow, pausing as she fell silent for a few seconds and took deep breaths. When she was ready, she raised her gaze at us again. "That's why today, I'm tendering my irrevocable resignation as vice president of the University Student Council—"

Another round of gasps filled the room. They were so loud and synchronized that they almost drowned out her words. Alaric the Prick even had to strike his gavel thrice to call for order.

I hung my head low. Val took one for the team, and her sacrifice must not be in vain.

♔

NEXT UPDATE: It's Fabienne's turn to make a big move.