Cris Mendez remembered: On justice forgotten

Y'know, for a while there, I fooled myself into believing that I wanted to be a lawyer. One who fights for human rights, one who does service to the Filipinos (and for free, at that), one who upholds justice...and I'm not talking about the prejudiced one.

So it comes as a huge disappointment that half a year later, there still isn't any good news about the case. Half a year later, Cris Mendez' death is still shrouded in secrecy and uncertainty. Half a year later, there's still no justice.

And I'm the one to talk, right? I haven't done anything close to helpful during the whole ordeal. I didn't know Cris when he was alive. The only connection between us is that he was a classmate and acquaintance of my cousin. He was known by some of my friends. Heck, we might have crossed paths once in a while when he was still alive, and I just had no idea that he was Cris Mendez. Not entirely impossible, yes, though UP Diliman is a huge place to roam around undetected.

A couple of days ago, a comment on my blog entry about Cris Mendez brought back the feeling of helplessness and disappointment. Of rage. No, not because the comment was in any way degrading, just that while the commenter was right in what she thinks, we're not mind-readers.

lets hear muna dapat ang both sides before we judged ryt? we are not there no know what really happened.

I know. I know that. In fact, I wanted to hear what the other side had to say. The people gave them a chance --- numerous times --- to say something. But, as what Arbet said, how can we possibly hear both sides when one side is in hiding?

Sure, the suspects needed to clear their name using the due process of the law, but I think too many people were affected by Mendez' death to just brush them and their concerns off and hide the truth in the dark. Sila rin ang talo, with the stigma that have undoubtedly been attached to their names. It may not be justice as dictated by law, but it still is justice in the eyes of the public.

I responded to the commenter via email:

I know. But we know nothing about the other side because they kept quiet about it. They had nothing to say. And it's almost, if not an outright admission of guilt, a cowardly thing to do. They're like playing with lives of other people.

I'm not in the position to be disgusted with frats and soros. For one, I've been affiliated with lots of them in school (during my years as a member of some militant organizations at the univ). A few have already approached me and asked me to join 'em. And don't get me wrong; I'm not placing the blame solely on the frat. I remain stern on my belief that Cris Mendez is also to blame. He knew what he was getting into. But hey, no use in blaming the already dead kid, right?

What I'm getting at is that, while I'm not denouncing frats and soros, I loathe hazing with a passion. I don't see how it can be something to be taken lightly when the ones you're hurting in the process are humans who just want some companionship or something. It's not fair to them OR their families. So, even if Sigma Rho gets absolved of their supposed actions, it won't change the fact that hazing is happening all over the country.

Ultimately, I think that no one deserves to die that way.

Thank you po for your comment. I do share your sentiments of wanting to know both sides, but I just can't sit here and watch the processions impassively. When I think something has to be done, I believe something HAS to be done. And what I think should be done (in MY opinion) is, in my way, condemn the practice of hazing.

Because as a person who's just watching on the sideline, that's the only thing I can do. That's the only contribution I can make. And even if it's a little thing, it still speaks a lot. A million words, in fact. Just RESISTING is enough action, even if one can make a more pronounced denouncement of what happened.

Arbet was somewhat right: The problem with the Cris Mendez case is that, several months since he died, no one has been charged.

I'm not really excited for someone to be charged with something regarding Mendez' death. I just want peace. I just want justice.

But the course of justice is a long one. One must have patience. One must have the sincerest desire to attain it, and not have some hidden agenda somewhere deep within the recesses of their souls. One must persevere in order to have it. One must be persistent.

Most of all, one must not forget. Because forgetting is something that's akin to abandoning the once great passion we had in reaching for the truth. I once said to let Cris Mendez be justice, and I still stand by that fact.

I may not be a lawyer. I may not know how the law works. I may not know everything I'm talking about. What I know is that I don't want this kind of confusion, this kind of future, for the next generations to come. What I know is that Cris Mendez, his family, his friends, and the people who support them, need justice. And until justice is not served, I don't think we'd find peace in our hearts.

Come to think of it, I'm now 20, the same age when Cris Mendez died. Who knows what might happen to me next?