Kaban ni D_BystandeR: NATALIGAM-AN NI MOCRING SI AL SURIGAO???

I wonder why the good and popular human rights lawyer,Democrito "Mocring" Barcenas, who made a name in the legal profession at the height of the repressive regime of Dictator Marcos would fail to mention the name of lawyer Al Surigao, who undoubtedly ranks among the well-known giants in the legal profession during his lifetime, who fearlessly stood up against the brutal crimes of injustice done to the poor and the oppressed in Cebu during the darkest hour of martial law. I remember Al Surigao's law office was bombed under questionable circumstances (was it bombed twice?) through covert acts believed to be instigated by the military probably in its attempt to silence him or to instill fear in his unyielding fight and advocacy for human rights which were badly tattered at that time.

His life finally ended when one night, at the back of his home in Pardo, Cebu City, as he was attending to his modest pigpen with a sow that just delivered several piglets a few days earlier, a man suddenly came out from the dark and pumped bullets into his body. A team of police investigators was hastily organized to solve the murder of Al Surigao, and my nephew who was already serving in the Cebu Police Department for several years when they (my nephew and Al) happened to be classmates

by the time they started taking up law at UV (University of the Visayas) up to the time they graduated the course, and even during the time they took the Bar Exam in Manila, but between them, only Al managed to pass the Bar. And there were times they met each other while Al was already a practicing lawyer, he would always try to encourage him to take another try at the Bar so he will also become a lawyer like him. That was how close my nephew was to lawyer Al Surigao that he thought his inclusion to the team formed to investigate his death was a good opportunity for him to help his friend find justice for his  death. But there was one unforgettable twist in that story when  one day he was approached by somebody occupying a higher rank in the military to express his joy upon knowing he was included in that "Team." "Mabuti at nandyan ka pala sa team na  nag-imbistiga sa kaso ni Surigao. Nasa mabuting kamay pala. Ayusin mo "bata!" And that was the end of it.

It was like a cold water doused to his felt eagerness earlier that he lost no time to get out of that investigating team. And that was the interesting  story I could not forget when I read lawyer Barcenas mentioning  some of the names of fallen heroes in the legal profession who offered the supreme sacrifice with their lives in the pursuit of their legal profession in defense of human rights during the darkest hour of our Philippine history.

Footnote: This comment came out in reply to a Sunstar column entitled, "Letter to the Editor," with a letter written by lawyer Democrito Barcenas, headlined, "A noble profession," dated: 05/19/14