This is the day when I will go to Vinaigrette.. To meet my client, Mr. Paulodio 'Paulo' Chin.
He was accused of killing Mr. Zimbaldo 'Baldo' Gutierrez in his office. Apparently, the CCTV Cameras were all off.. Or we can say, tampered/hacked that day of killing but they say that they had a witness.
Todo tanggi si Mr. Chin.. 'Hindi ko magagawa 'yon, kaibigan ko siya, alam nila 'yon!' iyan ang lagi niyang sinasabi.
Bumukas ang pinto at bumungad sa akin ang isang lalaking nasa mid 30s. Naka-polo shirt siya at pantalon, handa nang pumunta sa office ko. Late ko na kasi siya natawagan kaya't late ko na nasabi na didiretso na lamang ako sa apartment niya.
"Pasok ka iho, naku hindi ako nakapag-handa ng kahit inumin man lang. Papunta na dapat ako sa iyo eh" kamot-batok niyang saad.
"It's okay Mr. Chin, pasensiya na ho at late ako nakatawag. May inasikaso lamang po ako sandali" nakayukong sabi ko.
Pumasok kami sa loob. Pinaupo muna niya ako't kumuha ng malamig na tubig.
"Based on what the Inspector said..." I trailed and get the piece of paper inside my bag. Pinuntahan ko muna kasi kanina si Inspector Adolfo Poblacion kaya late ko nang natawagan ang aking kliyente. Humingi muna ako sa kaniya ng mga ditalye tungkol sa murder case kung saan pinagbibintangan o nasasangkot ang aking kliyente.
"The victim was killed 5:30 pm in his own office, natagpuan kasi ito ng mga pulis sa kaniyang opisina alasais ng hapon at base sa forensics ay napatay siya ng ganoong oras. Where are you that time?" pagpapatuloy ko.
"Papunta na ako noon sa kaniyang office, mag-uusap daw kasi kami sa kaniyang office tungkol sa nalalapit na batch reunion ng aming klase." sagot niya.
"Personal niya po bang sinabi na pumunta kayo sa office?"
"Naku hindi.." saad niya't umiiling-iling pa, "He just texted me at 5:10 pm, if you want.. Here's our conversation" dagdag niya't iniabot sa akin ang telepono niya. Nakabukas na iyon at nasa screen ang palayaw ni Mr. Zimbaldo at ang texts nila.
This is how their conversation goes:
______________________________________
5:00PM
Baldo:
Pwede ka mamaya sa office ko? We will have some chitchat with Shannon.. About the batch reunion.
5:10PM
Paulo:
Oh, sorry ngayon ko lang nabasa. Yes.. What time?
5:10PM
Baldo:
5:30pm? Makakarating ka naman 'di ba?
5:11PM
Paulo:
Yes.. I'll come right away.
5:11PM
Baldo:
Okay.. See you later.
______________________________________
I scrolled on their past chats/texts to see the typings.. I'm suspecting that someone.. Or the killer---if it's true that Mr. Chin was just framed---take his phone and he's the one whom Mr. Chin had a conversation with.
Apparently, the typing style was the same and I can't see any difference to prove that the texts was tampered.
"Who is this Shannon po?" tanong ko sa kanya sabay turo sa pangalan na binanggit ni Mr. Gutierrez sa kaniyang text.
"Friend.. Since highschool. We had a relationship but suddenly she realized that she had her own feelings for Baldo.. But Baldo can't give her the love she want so she's quite mad at Baldo. But we still bond with each other pa din naman.. Hiwalay na din kami ni Shann." ngumiti siya ng mapait at yumuko.
"I'm sorry to hear that.." saad ko ngunit ngumiti lang siya sa akin at sinabing wala lang daw iyon.
I'm starting to think that this Shannon was the one who.. "Do you think Shannon can do that?" I asked out of the blue. Natigilan naman siya.
"A-Ahm.. I'm sorry I'm just preoccupied with many conclusions" saad ko't ngumiti sa kaniya.. Ngumiti din siya at sandaling tumahimik bago mag-salita.
"I was thinking about that too but I can't entertain that conclusion that well kasi baka bintang ako ng bintang tapos mali pala.." saad niya, tumango tango ako't nagtanong pa ng ibang bagay ayon sa pagiging magkakaibigan nila at hindi na namalayan ang oras.
Dumating ako sa apartment ko ng 3:00 pm na. 12:00 pm ako pumunta at inabot na pala kami ng tatlong oras sa paguusap. Worth it naman ang usapan sapagkat nakilala ko ng mabuti si Shannon Vega.
Nagpalit agad ako ng damit at binuksan ang TV, I am watching a movie but I can't focus on it dahil habang nanonood ay hindi ko mapigilan ang mag-isip. So many conclusions on my mind but one thing for sure, we will win this case.
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15 days had passed, the trial hearing will happen today.. We're here at the trial court while waiting the judge.
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"At exactly 5:30 pm, the defendant Paulodio Chin went to Zimbaldo Gutierrez' workplace for the meeting." the prosecutor said.. Nagsimula na ang trial hearing 5 minutes ago at nandito na ang witness, guess who? Shannon Vega.
"Minute later, he went to Zimbaldo's office.. Based on what he said, he found Zimbaldo on his office' comfort room dead but based on our witness here, she found our defendant holding the knife who killed Zimbaldo. Based on the autopsy, nakita ang fingerprints ni Paulodio(the defendant) sa kutsilyo at iyon ang nagpapatibay sa pahayag ng ating witness." dagdag ng prosecutor at tumingin sa akin, nakakangiti pa siya ngayon huh? Just wait..
"Attorney, do you admit to the charges?" tanong ng judge.
"The defendant doesn't admit to the charges, your honor.." sagot ko at tumingin sa prosecutor, "The defendant has no motive to kill the victim.. Can you kill your friend? I think not.." saad ko but I trailed, "Oh, someone did it" saad ko at tumingin sa witness ng hindi iniaalis ang pagkakaharap sa prosecutor habang nakangiti. Ramdam ko ang takot ni Shannon at mahahalata din ang kaunting panginginig niya. Ibinaling kong muli ang paningin sa prosecutor at hinayaan siyang magsalita.
"He has a motive!" saad ng prosecutor, bakas ang iritasyon sa kaniyang mukha. "Our witness here with the defendant had their relationship before.. Apparently, our witness had her own feelings with Zimbaldo that force her to leave our defendant. Siguro ay nagalit siya ng husto kaya niya napatay si Zimbaldo." dagdag niya.
"That doesn't mean that he can kill the victim. However!" tumaas ang boses ko at ngumiti ng nakakaloko sa prosecutor bago balingan ang witness na ngayon ay halata na sa mukha ang takot.
"There are no accurate shreds of evidence to prove that the defendant kill the victim bukod sa fingerprint sa kutsilyo, right, witness?" dugtong ko, tumango naman si Shannon.
"The CCTV cameras were tampered and destroyed, the witness only saw the defendant holding the knife but what if.. Just what if, he holds that knife because he was nervous and worried, or someone placed that fingerprint there without Mr. Paulodio noticing it. What if someone faked his fingerprint or copied it? Remember the presumption of innocence? Kung walang ebidensya, hindi maituturing na siya talaga ang gumawa noon. He is the one who called for help right? Our witness here belongs to the people who have been texted by the victim for the meeting, that means she was also there that time. If the defendant went to the workplace exactly 5:30 pm, how come can he tamper the CCTV Cameras? We can check if whoever comes at the victim's office before the tampering of the cameras and I.. Actually did that lately before we went here" I smirk, wala nang kawala si Shannon this time.
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I get the CCTV Footages from my bag and prepared it to be shown to the judge. I know that we can win this case!