Some people are just so insensitive

Second person that I want to hit right on in the face.

She's giving an account of a "doctor" who allegedly saw my Mom on the day she died.

Apparently, the doctor who claimed to be there during that fateful day told her that my mom's color was already that of an ash and no longer has any blood on her body.

Where was that doctor? Did she get down on her car? Did she take vital signs of my mom? Did she touch her?

And this stupid girl still insists of the account of the doctor because she's a doctor because she knows the color of dead people.

Bleh! Did they see my mom when I saw her in the morgue?

Then out of sheer stupidity, this girl, who obviously don't know when to stop still asked how the case was going.

So I told her - I don't like to talk about it. (and I wanted to add, I don't want to discuss any single detail with you).

Obviously she is not my friend. A friend will never debate about the color of a dead woman...especially if she's my mother.

The first one was a lawyer.

I was there in the street during that day. I saw how nobody moved to help.

Helllllloooooooo!

How about you? Did you help? What did you do? You did not even take on the case, coward!

Oh, and I failed to mention. There's a third one -

The one who claimed a 2 year old girl said -

"papatayin ko silang lahat" (referring to those involved in the killings)

Yeah right!!! My son, the closest to my Mom, did not even think about that.

Clever. Clap! Clap! Clap!

Will I be faulted if I say I lost faith in the electoral process?

My parents both served as Municipal Treasurers.
My Papa in Caba, Burgos and Aringay
And Mama in Bagulin and Bauang.
I have seen how they served the elections -
They'd line up in the Capitol for the ballot boxes before the elections
Account for them and take responsibility over them
They'd come home in the wee hours of the morning right after the counting
Spending sleepless nights in the office.
I remember I'd often complain - during these times, we were "fatherless" and "motherless"
When all my classmates and friends, and all the children in the neighborhood spent time with their parents, my parents were in the "Munisipyo" working.

I also saw how they worked hard and with integrity
I grew accustomed with their work habits and values
And with them, I always look forward to every election.
New hope, voting wisely, making my vote count.

But it all changed on August 6, 2007.

My mom experienced the worst "election" of her life in the May 2007 elections.
She received all kinds of threats and harassment.
Of course she was also threatened. She feared not for her life, but for our lives.
She wouldn't even want us to go home and see her.

The night before the elections, somebody sprayed bullets in our house while we were sleeping
and my Mom in the "munisipyo"
We experienced having "security escorts"
And the rest was history.

My mom got killed because she stood up for the truth.
Or should I say, my mom got killed because she refused to do something that is against her values and morals.

The one who pulled the trigger is already in jail.
And it took me a very painstaking process.
But the one who asked the man to pull the trigger is still out...
...and seeking re-election.
I made my vote count in 2007...but still wasn't "heard".