Lawless bombing on the last day of the bar exams

Lawless - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

The Phil. Daily Inquirer's editorial (Oct. 2) - "....But this was the bar exams, an event that, if anything, fetes the logic of the law. It is a rite of passage for those who hold thinking and wisdom above all else. It was the very embodiment of a society perpetuating its sense of order, man finding strength in systems and beliefs...." (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20101002-295653/Lawless).



Editorial
Lawless
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:24:00 10/02/2010

PERHAPS THE most horrible aspect of the bar exams bombing is not just the sheer number of casualties, but how the very act of bombing goes so far against the whole point of the exams.

It was September 26, a Sunday, but not a day of rest for the many hopefuls who dreamed of working as lawyers, those who would interpret and protect the law. For one occasion, in one setting, all these law students from incredibly diverse social and economic backgrounds came together with a singular goal in mind: to hurdle the examinations in order to become lawyers. They gathered there on that day, the ending of so many days spent studying in the library. It was the final day of the bar exams at De La Salle University, a long-awaited moment for them, and all these attorneys-to-be were ready to let their hair down and celebrate.

Then came the big, bad bang.

There was blood, there was confusion, there were rumors. All of a sudden, those who believed that order is a prerequisite for a proper society were thrust into a state of chaos that tainted everything it touched.

The investigators and authorities, those now charged with sifting the truth from the ashes and bloodstains, swooped on the scene, asking questions. When our ears stopped ringing and took stock of the situation, the number of wounded stunned us: 44. Then, we were horrified by the severity of the bombing’s damage, as one girl lost both her legs. That girl, Raissa Laurel, spoke of not losing hope, of continuing on her chosen path of becoming a lawyer. She talked of staying true to what she had worked towards. Despite the catastrophic injuries she suffered, Laurel did not let the explosion deter her from the vocation she had chosen.

Amid Laurel’s words of hope came the fragments of truth the authorities unearthed. Contrary to earlier supposition that it might have been an improvised explosive device such as a pillbox, it was a grenade lobbed at a throng of celebrating law students. Laurel herself was closest to the blast, explaining the severity of her injuries.

We strained to believe it. Someone had come to the school on this chosen day and brought a military-grade explosive, an actual weapon of war delivered to a crowd of civilians caught in the midst of revelry. Who would do this? we asked. And why? It was simply unthinkable. When the investigators began talking about the grenade attack being the result of a fraternity war, we still could not believe. We had heard of fraternities and the seemingly mindless and endless strife between those separated only by a few Greek letters.

But this was the bar exams, an event that, if anything, fetes the logic of the law. It is a rite of passage for those who hold thinking and wisdom above all else. It was the very embodiment of a society perpetuating its sense of order, man finding strength in systems and beliefs.

The attack defied all that, made a mockery of everything that day stood for. Despite our continued shock and grief, we realized the gravity of this crime and demanded justice for those who sought to stand for the just. It was the ultimate act of removing law from our society, by sapping it from those who seek to wield it correctly.

In visiting the victims, President Aquino left strong words that resonated with our outrage: “I consider this a heinous crime because many of the victims were women and students preparing for their future as productive citizens of our country. Society bears an added responsibility for caring for women and the youth.” And he issued a stern warning: “To those who are guilty: The full resources of the state are being unleashed against you. Surrender. Do not add to the troubles you are now facing. You will not escape the consequences of your actions.”

With the National Bureau of Investigation engaging in its own parallel probe along with the ongoing Manila Police District’s search for clues, the Supreme Court has taken the unprecedented step of forming its own special committee to study the blast and find the guilty parties. After all, who else will find justice for their brethren?

All these efforts dovetail seamlessly into a unified search for the truth and the finding of justice for those who were learning to dispense justice. Let the probes dig deep. Let the horror be remembered. Let our way not be slowed by indifference or forgetfulness. We may not know how many perpetrators there are, or why they did it. But we do have one quantity for sure: 44 wounded. It is for them that we continue. It is for the 44 that we seek the single truth behind the events of Sept. 26. That, in the end, is the only mathematical equation that makes sense after the senseless grenade attack. Bring the law back.