Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Trial of Lies

Ipinupukpok ko ang aking daliri sa lamesa habang nakatingin sa prosecutor na kasalukuyang kinakausap ang doctor na nag-conduct ng autopsy sa biktimang namatay.

Nandito ako sa loob ng hukoman. And this is the final trial. I need to be smart and vigilant. Ang prosecutor na naghawak ng kasong hinahawakan ko ay isa sa kilala at pinakamagaling sa bansa. Matalino ang isang 'to. I've watched him once defeat Attorney Soriano in a trial. His tactics are different. Accurate but exceptional.

Ang hawak kong kliyente ngayon ay inakusahan sa kasong murder. At base sa kanila ay namatay ang biktima dahil sa paghampas ng baseball bat at sadyang pagtulak ng suspek dito upang mahulog sa hagdanan.

Ipinapakita sa T.V sa harap ang resulta ng autopsy ng biktima kaya napatingin ako sa aking kliyente na parang kinakabahan sa maaring mangyari. This client is a rich one. Malaki ang ibinayad sa akin nito kaya dapat kong lalong pagbutihan. In exchange of money, I need to fullfill what he desire. And he wants me to win his case to prove his innocence.

"Witness, this autopsy result. You wrote it yourself, right?"

Pagtatanong ni Prosecutor Edica sa doktor kaya tumango ito. "Oo." tapat na sagot ng testigo.

This time, alam kong mayroong posibilidad na matalo kami. Wala kaming binayaran na kahit sinong testigo para pumanig sa amin. All I need is to be smart enough to block the prosecutor's tactics.

"Based on the autopsy, what is the cause of death?"

"Excessive internal bleeding at the victim's brain."

Ipinadyak ko ang aking paa habang nakikinig sa usapan ng dalawa.

"When the victim arrived at the hospital, can you state the things you have done?"

Napatigilid ang ulo ko sa pinagsasabi ng prosecutor. He's playing it safe and clean.

"When the victim arrived at the hospital right after the accident, there are no other damage except the cerebral hemorrhage and other several fractures." paunang saad ng testigo.

"When we put him into MRI and CT Scan, the organ looks all fine."

Nakita kong tumatango-tango ang judge sa saad ng testigo at bakas sa mukha na mukhang nadadala s'ya sa pahayag ng mga ito.

"Based on the autopsy result, you wrote that the rib cage is damage right?" tanong muli ng prosecutor.

"Yes." sagot nito.

"Can you please explain further about this rib cage?"

Tumango muli ang testigo.

"Rib cage is the curve wall of ribs that surrounds and protects the chest."

"So, is it possible for the rib cage to be damaged by falling from a set of stairs with seven stair-like what the lawyer is pointing out?"

Napahilot ako sa batok ko. Magaling talaga ang isang 'to. Itinatanong na n'ya ang bagay na maaari kong maging lusot at itanong sa testigo.

"Hindi. The rib cage will not easily broke. Unless there's a strong force that goes against it. Katulad ng kapag nabangga ka ng sasakyan o hinampas ito ng isang matigas na bagay."

Nag-bow si Prosecutor Edica sa judge. "That would be all."

Pasimple kong pinalagatok ang aking daliri. This will be a tough one. Kailan kong mag-isip ng ibang paraan para lusutan ang bagay na ito.

"Defense lawyer, start the cross-examination."

Kaagad akong tumayo at naglakad papunta sa gitna. No matter what happen, I need to win this case. My reputation is at stake. Hindi ako pwedeng magka-record na may naipatalo na akong kaso. That'll ruin my image.

"At one time did the victim arrive at the hospital?" panimulang tanong ko sa testigo.

"7:36 pm, February 13. diretsong sagot n'ya.

"And the time of death of the victim?"

"5:56 am, February 14. "

Binuksan ko ang hawak kong laser at itinapat sa resulta ng autopsy sa harap.

"According on what you have written, the cause of death is excessive internal bleeding inside the brain, am I right?"

"Yes."

"And also, according to you, right after the victim's arrival you put him through CT Scan and MRI. And saw nothing except the cerebral hemorrhage and several fractures?"

"Yes."

Muli akong tumango at inilipat ang laser sa ibang parte ng T.V.

"Witness, are you aware about the minor injury in the victim's rib cage even before the accident?"

"Y-Yes."

Nakita kong parang naguguluhan na ang mga tao sa tinatanong ko.

"And you stated that it is not possible for the ribs to get fracture just by falling in a seven staired ladder?"

"Yes." muling saad nito.

"Now. I'm asking you the same question, Isn't it really possible for the victim to got his rib cage fractured by falling in a seven staired ladder even though he has a minor damage on his rib cage right before the accident?"

Sandaling natigilan ang testigo at parang napaisip. Nakita ko ang bakas na pagtataka sa mukha ng pamilya ng biktima at ang bahagyang pagsibol ng tuwa sa mukha ng inakusahan.

"It is possible."

Nakarinig ako ng pagsinghap. That's good. Ako pa. I am Attorney Mikaela Perez. The best lawyer in this country.

"As stated earlier, the time of arrival is 7:36 in the evening and the time of death is 5:56 in the morning. In short, there are ten hours gap between the time of arrival and death. So the victim died at the hospital, right?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing during that time? Right before the victim's death?"

"We are checking the victim's damage rib cage. Mayroon na din kaming iba pang mga buto na kaming nai-check bago pa ito."

Tumayo ako ng tuwid at pasimpleng humarap sa judge saka muling hinarap ang mga tao.

"We can call a case a murder if the heart stops beating in the accused hand. At sa kasong ito, sampung oras pa ang pagitan ng time of arrival ng biktima sa hospital at ang pagkamatay n'ya."

Tumingin ako muli sa testigo.

"So basically, nasa kamay mo ang biktima ng mamatay ito, right?"

Kinakabahang tumango ang testigo. "Y-Yes."

"And you already conducted examinations and already found out about the excessive bleeding in the brain but you chose to check the fracture bone first."

"N-No. We've already check about the brain and tried to stop the bleeding but we can't. We decided to proceed on the fractured bones after making the  excessive bleeding stop temporarily."

Napa-ah ako sa sinabi n'ya. "So, ibig sabihin ay mayroong kaso ng pagkalito sa ginagawa n'yo dahil naghalo sa utak n'yo kung ano ba ang dapat unahin?"

Naglakad ako sa harap n'ya. "At sa pagkalitong iyon, while you are trying to repair the fractured rib cage, there is a possibility na aksidente n'yong madamage ang mga bagay na pinoprotektahan n'yon, right? And that includes the heart of the victim."

Tumayo ako ng tuwid at tumingin sa mga tao sa gitna.

"Basically, sa kamay ng doktor namatay ang biktima at hindi sa kamay ng inakusahan. There is also a possibility that the victim's rib cage got broke by falling because of the minor injury even before the incident."

Tiningnan ko si Prosecutor Edica na nakatingin sa akin.

"There is also no direct proof that the accused baseball player hit the victim by a baseball bat aside from the baseball bat seen in the crime scene. That place is a place for baseball tournament, so it is normal that there are baseball bats around."

Humarap akong muli sa kanilang lahat.

"The murder that is recognized by the Criminal law is when the victim died on the accused hand but in this case, the victim died on the doctor's hand." ani ko.

"So we can not charge the accused for murder because of lack of evidence and indirect presumptions. And in extension to that... "

Tiningnan ko ang kliyente ko na unti-unting napapangiti sa mga sinasabi ko.

"The accused is appealing for innocence."