By Ardy & Dave

I was having mixed feelings after I learned that we were going to the town hall and straight to the jail facility to see the alleged perpetrator mentioned in The Mary Joy Story.

There was something in me saying that Ma’am Ardy could be just pulling my leg as she said that she wanted to meet the suspect.

I have been a journalist for almost 30 years and I had 2 close encounters with suspects where I had to say my piece. These 2 “episodes” in my life are really unforgettable and sometimes nightmarish.

Allow me to share my story. The first instance was in 1995, when I was a stringer for the old Manila Standard manning the police beat in Quezon City. There, I met this rape suspect who repeatedly abused (sexually) his granddaughter. I already forgot the details of the crime, but I can still remember how I almost punched the suspect in the face because he seemed nonchalant about what he did. He admitted raping his granddaughter but he looked as if he was proud about the crime.

The second time that I almost got “physical” with the suspect was in 2019 – yes, just about two (2) years ago when a girl faked her story of having been kidnapped. She was arrested in Bohol. I remember that she was a girl from Iloilo who pretended to be single and and to be hooked up with a Boholano. The girl convinced the Boholano to elope with her. It turned out that the girl is already married to a rich guy in Iloilo who is several years her senior. As the girl was traveling from Iloilo to Bohol, she tricked her rich husband that she was being kidnapped. 

Believing in her wife’s story, the husband asked the Anti-Kidnapping Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to help him get his wife back. However, the police learned later on that the kidnapping was only meant to extort money from the rich Ilongo guy so that the girl and his Boholano “friend” could have a big amount to start a new life in our province. 

Of course, the Boholano was clueless about the scheme. 

Meeting the girl during the investigation, I saw her very unaffected with what she did. Like the rape suspect I meantioned earlier, this girl also appeared as though she committed nothing grievous and that what she did was just one of those ordinary things anybody could do. I was the on who was affected as I wanted to “attack” her for what she did.

So, upon learning from Ma’am Ardy that we were going to the jail to meet the suspect, I had some apprehensions.

Will there be a scene at the jail? I could feel my anger and I could see the same feeling from Ma’am Ardy.

I was entertaining some questions:

  • In the first place, will the suspect face us and talk to us?
  • Granting that the police will allow us to interview the suspect, will he not become violent? Will he not show the same strength he exerted when he allegedly attacked Mary Joy and her sister who is his daughter?
  • Will we be successful in our mission?

Even with the apprehensions, I assured myself that Ma’am Ardy knows and knew what she was doing. She was still silent. Yes, Ma’am Ardy seemed to entertain a lot of thoughts. 

As we boarded the van, I can’t help but ask Ma’am Ardy again if she really wanted to go to the Munisipyo.

“Muadto jud ta didto ma’am,” I asked her anew.

This time she took out her phone and typed something and never bothered to answer my question.

She did ask me the name of the suspect while the van was pulling out of the small road from Mary Joy’s house.

The ride was eerily silent for the first few minutes after which  Ma’am Ardy instructed the driver: “Randy, muadto ta sa munisipyo. Ayaw patya ang makina inig park nimo. Magbantay ka kanunay, Ablihi daan ug gamay ang pultahan. Ikaw Ruth (her secretary), ikaw magdala sa akong bag. Nahibaw ka na ug asa nimo na ihatag, ug magka-inunsa-ay man galing. Dili ka kaayo paduol inighinabi namo sa way batasan nga tawo. Ug ikaw Dave (referring to me), mouban ka o dili? Nahadlok ka? Ayaw kaikog kay ug dili ka mouban, ibilin ka nako dinhi. Mouban ka? (To be continued)