Dillysul Cal
24yrs old,female, Philippines
I am currently working in call center.
Here is a sample article:
An exposure to the reality of truth and of justice.
It is really hard to isolate ourselves to the outside world, that's an inevitable fact we need to face. To confine ourselves just within the walls of the academe is like having our own perfect kingdom learning the ideals of the legal profession. But when we go outside, it is but a very unlikely experience.
That half day exposure to one of the trial court in Cebu specifically branch 28 of the Mandaue Trial Court under Judge Marilyn Yap is a very enriching experience.
We were able to observe how a trial really goes.
I did not expect such physical location where the court is located. I was expecting that like the Court of Justice at the back of the provincial Capitol, it would also have a bigger space but instead its even smaller that the classroom in school. People inside the court can hardly move. And there are not enough chairs to sit on. As I estimate it, its capacity would only be around 25-30 people. I honestly was not expecting that the court will be located in such a place.
I was really amazed when I learned that the court we are going to observe will going to hear more that 5 case in just a very short span of time. Upon entering the sala, I was overwhelmed with the number of detainee sitting around. And for one, they got different cases with different offenses.
I feel pity for one of the detainee. It’s a woman and she is practically alone. She was tried for qualified theft. The judge asked her if she got any company like relative or friends but she said none. She was asked whether she got any relative in the city and she said that she got a son but she can even hardly tell where her son is living or working. I believe that none of her family knew that she was imprisoned.
The hearing of every case was really like a breeze. It is really fast. But nonetheless the judge was able to efficiently hear every case.
I also can really feel the overwhelming coldness of the judge to the witnesses, to the accused and to the lawyers of the both sides of every case. The judge really was able to listen to every detail and was very keen to details and always gives reason for the every argument sustained or overruled.
Together with the judge, the clerk of court was able to translate to English and to dialect the arguments and answers of the witnesses. Thus, making the trial comprehendible to both side and to some of the detainees I believe who could hardly understand English language.
Diligence and patience are the most vital qualities I could imagine having in such situation. On the part of the defense and prosecution, you really have to have patience in waiting for your turn wherein there was actually really no assurance whether your case will really be heard because of the time constrained, and on the part of the judge, you really have to be patient in listening to the different arguments of both contending parties to be able to fully understand the decide on some instances that greatly needs your decision.
Such experience was really a great one. I love hearing the different arguments and observing how the lawyers argue and apply the different laws and principle. One really has to be updated to every law to be competent enough to argue in court. Every lawyers I have observed are really well versed of the case they are dealing nonetheless the judge was also very knowledgeable in applying the different principles. It actually made me think that truly having the MCLE is really a great benefit to lawyers specially those trial lawyers.
