Today is an important day for Hale. He slept early last night just to recharge and gain energy. Now, he is ready to face the people and show his innocence with the support of his family.
He was guided by his lawyer into the Regional Trial Court. While he was walking inside, he saw Harrison staying in front of him. Their eyes clash and intimidate each other.
He raised his right eyebrow while his boss smirked and had a sharp look. Whatever his boss shows to him, he has never been affected as he is stronger than ever today.
"It's been a while, Hale. How was your stay? Please settle yourself because from now on, your stay will become permanent," Harrison intimidated him in words.
He smiled and sarcastically responded. "I know that you just frame-uped me. You are just insecure to me. Let's bring it on. Let us see if you have a strong evidence. I bet you will be embarrassed with your dishonesty."
For safety, Armando didn't attend the trial. He doesn't want to destroy his loyalty to Harrison or Xander. To avoid the conflict, even though his friend stole data from the Fuentabella Company, he referred to the NBI to track the CCTV footage. Then, they compared the videos from the agency and their copies. Fortunately, they matched. They also asked for a copy of the PNP, however what they got is somehow deleted or cut. With the help of the agency they visited, they recovered the video and it totally matches quite the same from the original video.
Just a few seconds remaining then the court trial will commence. Hale closed his eyes and prayed silently. While his mother is having a rosary prayer series.
"All rise. The honorable court, Regional Court is now in session. Judge Carpio presiding. Please be seated," the bailiff started the trial.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case, Article 308 of the Revised Penal Code, of the People of the Republic of the Philippines versus Hale. Are both sides ready?" the judge left an opening statement, and then the two lawyers of each side affirmed.
"Will the clerk please swear in the jury?" The judge commanded.
"Will the jury please stand and raise your hand?" the clerk requested. "Do each of you swear that you will fairly try the case before this court and that you will return a true verdict according to the evidence and the instructions of the court, so help you, God? Please say "I do".
Then the jurors said 'I do' and then seated after they were instructed to. The prosecutor stood up and talked to the jury:
"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: the defendant has been charged with the crime of stealing the funds and the physical money of the Fuentabella Company. The evidence will show that he put the money and the receipts inside his bag. The next hour the defendant was arrested while on act continuing to steal the wealth inside the CEO's office. The defendant's fingerprints were on the bills and receipts. The evidence I present will prove to you that the defendant is guilty as charged."
The lawyer who is the defender of the Hale stood up and talked to the jury:
"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: under the law, my client is presumed innocent until proven guilty. During this trial, you will hear no real evidence against my client. You will come to know the truth: that Hale was just framed by the CEO of the Fuentabella Company. He was inside the office accomplishing the tasks given to him. According to the evidence we collected which is the recovered version of CCTV footage, we saw that Hale didn't steal the money, else he just counted the bills and coins as instructed by his boss. Therefore my client is not guilty."
After the opening statements, the judge stated that the prosecution would call the first witness.
"The People call the classmate of the defendant," the prosecutor responded to the judge.
The bailiff takes the first witness to the witness stand. Then the clerk commanded him:
"Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
The first witness says 'I do'.
For your information, the first witness is a classmate of Hale. They are not friends but sometimes they talk during every group's activities in the school. He was the last person who visited the office of the CEO, he was supposed to meet the boss to ask for a signature for approval which was instructed by their principal. He really saw that his classmate was simply counting the money and focusing the work in front of the PC.
"Please state your first name and last name," the clerk asked for important information.
"Kevin Calleja," the first witness spilled his name and then he seated after he was instructed to.
The reporter asked him to spell his last name for the record.
"C-a-l-l-e-j-a," he spelled his last name letter by letter completely.
Then the interrogation started with the prosecutor.
"Did you see the defendant stealing the money?"
"No, I just saw him busy in front of the PC inside the CEO's office. He texted me that he went to the building early and was given the tasks of doing account reconciliation and counting the coins and bills of the money presented by our boss."
"How confident are you that you are telling us the truth?"
"I am 101% that I am telling the truth."
"What is your connection with the defendant?"
"Nothing special, he is just a classmate. We are not so close and even not friends. So, no need to doubt me."
"What are you doing here in the office?"
"I was supposed to ask for a signature from our boss. Our principal handed me a document which requires the signature of Mr. Fuentabella."
"Thank you, I have no further questions."
The judge asked the lawyers if they had questions about the witness. So far, nothing grabbed the opportunity to ask. So, the judge told the prosecutor that he would be calling the arresting officer and the arresting officer was hereby called by the clerk.
The officer was requested to stand and raise the right hand. He also promised that he was telling the only truth and so God bless him too. His name is George de los Santos.
"Officer, where do you work?"
"I was assigned to patrol near the Fuentabella Company."
"What did you discover from the defendant which made him get arrested?"
"There are 1-thousand bills inside his bag, there are also receipts that reflect that he withdrew from the bank without permission from the owner."
The officer presented the bag of Hale consists the evidence found in it. The prosecutor took it and acknowledged it to serve as valid evidence.
The lawyer of Hale urged them to question the officer because she doubted that the officer was making out stories. She is certain that he cannot prove it.
"Your honor, may I have the permission to ask the witness."
"You may proceed, Atty. Madrigal."
Atty. Madrigal walked with poise and confidence going through the front witness.
"Aside from what you found out inside the defendant's bag, do you have strong evidence that may prove that my client is the one who put those inside his bag?"
The people inside the court looked at each other, while the lawyer was just smiling. She prepared for this and she foreshadowed yesterday that everyone will be shocked by her question.
"Y-Y-Your h-honor, I am sorry, but we don't have that kind of evidence such as the CCTV footage. When we asked for a copy of that, we realized that it was cut or corrupted."
The lawyer of Harrison was supposed to disagree but he was not allowed by the judge.
"Since the witness didn't present stronger evidence, I presume that my client is not guilty."
The prosecutor asked both sides if there were no questions and nobody asked a question to the witness.
And the last witness was called. He was the IT of the Fuentabella Company. His presence surprised everyone. Even Hale doesn't expect that he would come because he has never met him before. But Atty. Madrigal knows the game, so he just puts him first in secret.
After the witness introduced his name and recited the promise, he presented the original CCTV footage which wowed everyone.
There is a series of queries in which lawyer of Harrison asked so many questions because he was doubting the witness who accused him as a hacker or a paid IT, but the judge is angry at how the other side acted.
After the process of the trial, the jury voted and then the judge decided on the case. Is it good news or bad news?
"Due to insufficient and strong evidence on the case of Article 308 of Revised Penal Code to the defender, and as the court decided. I hereby judge that the defendant is not guilty."
The sides of Hale clapped and celebrated the win. Hale sobbed and he was hugged by his mother. The phone he owned was returned to him and then he texted his boyfriend that he did it.