Laxxus POV
Ito ang araw na pinakahihintay ko, ang makamit ang hustisya sa kawalang-hiyaan na ginawa sa akin ng lalaking halang ang kaluluwa. Narito na kami ngayon sa loob ng korte at kinakabahan ako. Kinakabahan ako sa maaaring resulta ng kaso.
Nakaupo kami ni Attorney Mishel sa counsel table at nire-review nito ngayon ang kasong hinatol namin kay Versoza. kaharap namin si Versoza na matalim ang tingin sa akin maging ang kaniyang abogado. Humugot ako nang malalim na paghinga at kinalma ang aking sarili. Pagkalipas ng ilang minuto, dumating na ang Judge at nagsitayuan ang lahat.
"All rise." sambit ng Baillif. "Department of One of the Superior in Court is now in session. Judge Enrile Ponce presiding. Please be seated."
Pinagpapawisan ang aking mga kamay, nananalangin na sana, manalo kami sa hearing na ito. Please, God bless me.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of Versoza versus People of the Philippines. Are both sides ready?" tanong ng Judge.
"Ready for the people, Your Honor." sagot ng isang Attorney Mishel.
Tumayo ang Attorney ni Versoza na simple lang nakaupo at hindi kinakabahan. "Ready for the defense, Your Honor."
At doon, nagsimula na ang unang hearing sa kasong isinampa namin kay Zach Versoza. Tahimik lang ako habang tinatanong sa witness stand ang lalaki. I know, malabo sigurong manalo dahil walang witness na nakakita sa pangyayari. Pero hindi ba ako pwedeng umasa? Na sana, mayroon pa rin kaming alas para matalo ang Zach Versoza na ito.
The Deputy DA talked in front. "Ladies and gentlemen of the panel, the defendant has been charge with the crime of rape and sexual harassment. The evidence will show the plaintiff's evil doing..." He paused, "the evidence that I will show to you, Your Honor will prove that the defendant is guilty to the crimes he did." pagpapatuloy nito.
"Proceed with the trial, Prosecution, who is your first witness" utos ng Judge.
Tumayo ang Prosecutor. "The victim himself, Mr. Laxxus Harris Sarmiento, Your Honor."
Kinakabahan ako. Pinagpapawisan ang aking palad dahil sa labis na takot at pangamba sa laban na ito.
"Call your witness," sambit ng Judge.
Tinawag ako ng Prosecutor at nagpunta ako sa witness stand.
"Raise your right hand. Do you swear to affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" tanong sa akin ng Court Interpreter.
"I... I do," nanginginig na sagot ko.
"State your personal circumstances." sambit muli nito.
I state my personal circumstances. Tahimik sa loob ng korte at tila nasa akin lamang ang atensyon. Nang matapos ko ang aking sasabihiin ay nagsimula nang magtanong sa akin ang Prosecutor.
"Mr. Laxxus, do you know Zach Versoza, the accused in this case?" He asked.
I gulped before answering. Nanalangin ako na sana ay hindi ako mautal sa aking pagsagot. "No. I just met him the day when I found out that he's our customer."
"Do you know him, personally?"
I sighed. Tangina, why not direct to the point? Ang daming paligoy-ligoy. "No. Hindi ko siya kilala. Hindi ko rin alam na siya ang may-ari ng Club na pinagtratrabahuan ko."
"You work in the Club?"
Tumango ako. "Yes. For 3 years, I was there but no one, especially me doesn't know him." pag-amin ko.
"Have you find any interaction with him?" muli niyang tanong na parang masusuka na ako sa tanong na iyon. I don't need to interact with a man full of evil doings.
"No. I don't." maikling sagot ko. "But I can see the burning desire in his eyes when I first met him that night." I added.
"Objection Your Honor, the statement is irrelevant. The witness can't prove that the accused did it or not." sigaw ng abogado ni Versoza.
"Sustained," sambit lang ng Judge.
Nagpatuloy lamang ito hanggang sa dumako na sa pinaka-masakit na tanong. Mahirap ipaliwanag kung paano at kung gaano iyon kasakit para sa akin na isipin muli ang bagay na iyon.
"What happened on the night of August 1, 2021?" the Prosecutor asked me.
Ang sakit isipin ang bawat pangyayari nang gabing iyon. Mabigat sa dibdib, mahirap ipaliwanag at hindi kayang sikmurain.
"I... I was raped, sir." mahina kong sagot.
"When did the accused raped you?"
I sighed. "Around 10pm, sir." I answered, honestly.
He sighed. Ramdam rin siguro nito ang pamimigat ng aking dibdib ngunit ipinagpatuloy pa rin niya ang pagtatanong sa akin. "Where did this happen?"
"In the Club where I'm working, sir."
"Why are you in the Club?" He asked. Pero nakakabobo ang tanong niyang iyon dahil ano ang gagawin ko sa Club kung hindi ang magtrabaho. I calmed myself.
"Actually it was my day-off but my Manager called me to be there because one of the waiter is sick so I was his replacement that time," pahayag ko.
My palm was wet underneath of the witness table.
"How do you know it was the accused who approached you?"
"Because the Manager calls him boss. I also witness that he is using drugs that night. He is under of Drugs when he did that to me," nahihirapan kong sagot ngunit mabuti na lang at hindi ako nautal.
"Objection Your Honor! The statement is not related to my client's case!" sigaw muli ng abogado ng kabilang panig.
"Overruled!" sambit ng Judge.
The prosecutor proceeds to its question. Naaasar na ako sa abogado nitong Zach Versoza. Kanina pa niya binibitin ang mga sinasabi ko sa Prosecutor. Halatang guilty ang walang hiya.
"It was the accused... it's probably him." I said. "There's a CCTV in that room but when we tried to hacked it out, there's no videos in there probably, they hid it or deleted it." muli kong sambit sa Prosecutor.
Muli na namang sumabat ang abogado ni Versoza. "Objection Your Honor but the statement of the victim is irrelevant to the issue." halata ang pagiging hesterikal nito habang nakatingin sa Judge.
"Stop objecting, Attorney Madrid!" inis na sambit ng Judge.
Napayuko ito at humingi ng paumanhin dahil sa kawalan niya nang respeto. Serves him right!
"Proceed with the questions, Prosecutor." utos muli nito.
The Prosecutor sighed deeply. "Yes, Your Honor." sagot niya. Tumingin itong muli sa akin. Bumalik ang composure nito sa kaniyang sarili. "What then happened, next if any?"
Napalunok ako bago tumingin kay Attorney Mishel. She motioned me to answer the question. It makes me calm. Alam ko sa sarili ko na para sa akin ang gagawin ko. Hustisya ang kailangan ko.
"He started to drink the liquor in his glass and puffed his cigarette, before he said something unusual to me," pag-kuwento ko.
"What is that unusual that he had said to you?"
I explained myself, on what he had said to me that night. The Judge seems understand what I am saying as I looked at him with pure intention. "He asked me if I'm willing to have... sex with him but I declined," I answered.
"Why didn't you run?"
Kumuyom ang aking kamao sa ilalim ng witness stand. Hindi ko alam, pero nakaramdam ako ng galit at pandidiri sa aking sarili.
"How would I run, if he blocked my way when I wanted to get out of that room? He even blackmailed me! He has a knife. He put that in my neck..." nanghihinang sagot ko.
Muli na namang nagsalita ang abogado ni Versoza. This is the third time. I know, nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa dahil sa ganitong giinagawa niya na tila pinipigilan akong sabihin ang totoo.
"Your Honor, I move to strike the answer of the witness. It is a mere opinion only of the witness." He said.
"Granted,"
"What did the accused do to you? Can you explain?" muli na namang tanong sa akin.
Sasagot na sana ako nang sumingit si Attorney Mishel na siyang sumalo sa mabigat kong nararamdaman.
"Your Honor, my client became depressed that time. I think he can't ans－" I cut her off.
"I can answer it, Attorney." I said, looking at her intently. Hindi na ito muling nagsalita at naupo na lamang.
Bumalik ang kalmado kong sarili. Sinagot ko ang katanungan ng Prosecutor. Diretso sa mata ko siyang tinignan. "The accused punch my stomach, that caused me to lie on the floor. He... he pushed a knife in my neck again. I tried to seek help but no one can hear my screams until he touch my sensitive part. He's like a crazy animal, sir." nangingilid ang luha kong sambit.
"What else? What happened next?"
My tears fall down, I brushed it with my thumb. "Unti-unti niyang tinanggal ang pang-ibabang saplot ko. Nakangiti pa ito na parang demonyo. He started to insert his manhood inside my butt hole. I began to scream when I feel the pain but he initiated. He thrusted again and again..." my voice broke.
"Your Honor, I think the witness is telling the truth but we want to examine the new findings that the victim passed to us earlier." sambit ng Prosecutor.
"Granted," sagot muli ng Judge.
Nakita ko ang pagkunot-noo ni Versoza.
"What?! Another hearing again?! Oh come on! Don't fucking waste my time, Judge Enrile!" sigaw nito.
Nagkagulo sa loob ng korte nang magsimulang magwala ito at ipinagbabato ang inuupan niya. Seems that he wanted to manipulate the law again.
"Order in the court! Order in the court! Have peace or I will put you all in jail!" galit na sigaw ni Judge Enrile.
Natahimik ang lahat. Muli itong nagsalita. "We will examine the new findings that the victim's Lawyer passed to us. The next hearing would be one week from now." imporma ng Judge at pinukpok na ang gavel.
I sighed when Attorney Mishel walked towards me and hugged me. I hugged her too. I cried on her shoulders. She patted my back telling me that it is alright, that I was brave enough on that witness stand.
To be continued...