CASTIEL

I HAD somewhat expected that Alaric the Prick would try to impeach Priam in one way or another. First, he and his party believed that my president did not have any mandate to lead because the latter failed to win a majority of the votes. Nanalo si Priam dahil sa technicality at disqualification ng frontrunner. They called him "Mr. President" to his face, but whispered words such as "illegitimate" and "usurper" behind his back.

Second, if I was right about him, Alaric the Prick might attempt to drag Priam off the throne and take it for himself. Obvious na obvious ang galawan niya lalo na't sabay niyang gustong ipa-impeach ang president at VP. After the vice president, he was next in the line of succession, so he would benefit the most from the impeachment.

What caught me by surprise was how he managed to get the ammunition that he was about to fire at us. Kasalanan ko. Masyado akong nagpadalos-dalos. Charge to experience. I could spend my time thinking what I could have done better, but that would be moot now. Ang mas importante ay ang mga ganap ngayon at kung paano ako magre-react sa sitwasyon.

So here we are, making history again.

The impeachment trial was set at a time and date convenient for all parties—on a Friday at five in the afternoon. The center table of the committee was rearranged to resemble a vertically flipped U. May standard desk at upuan sa gitna kung saan uupo ang tatawaging witness. May dalawang magkatapat na mahabang mesa malapit sa gallery kung saan uupo kami at ang mang-uusig sa amin.

If I could be perfectly honest, this was nothing but a kangaroo court. But we had to attend because the process demanded it. Priam, Valeria, and I sat at one of the long tables with our chosen defender. Hindi kami required dumalo lalo na't wala pa sa amin ang isasalang sa witness stand. But we promised full cooperation, so we had to walk the talk.

"The impeachment court is now in session," Alaric the Prick declared before striking the gavel. Feel na feel talaga niya ang pagiging hari na maghahatol sa amin. He must have been waiting so long for this moment. "The Student Ombudsman may now deliver his opening statement."

"Thank you, Mr. Chair." A guy with slicked-back hair from the other table got to his feet and made his way to the center of the room. His tall shadow was cast over us as he walked past our table. "One of the grounds for impeachment is any form of misconduct that undermines the integrity of the council..."

Such a shame that we found ourselves on opposite sides of the fence. Kayneth Palacio, a fourth-year Political Science student and Priam's senior, used to be our ally. Not a staunch one, but he fought with us and for us. Siya ang nilapitan namin para igiit na dapat i-disqualify ang frontrunner noong huling student council election dahil sa isang technicality.

I reached out to him a few days ago, just to see if I could get some concessions... and for him not to make our unfortunate situation more difficult than it already was. Pinuntahan ko siya sa library kung saan siya mahilig tumambay kapag lunch break.

"I knew I would find you here," I said when I found him standing before one of the huge bookshelves in the Archives section. There was no one else here except the two of us. Sumandal ako sa shelf at ini-stretch ang kaliwang binti ko habang nakasuporta ang aking cane. "You must be extremely busy right now."

Kayneth snapped a book shut and walked past me. Limping, I followed him to the table strewn with a bunch of old Herald newspapers. They bore some headlines with the word "impeachment" around two decades ago. One of the news articles screamed USC PRES IMPEACHED. He must have been doing his research on historical precedents.

"You do know that it may seem inappropriate for you and me to be seen together in a public place such as the library." He flipped the pages of the Elysian University Student Government's Constitution and By-laws. His tone was colder and his demeanor was more detached than Priam's. "I hope you're not here to talk about the impeachment."

"Have you read the complaint?"

"I have."

"In your learned opinion, do you think we can survive this?"

He laid his palms flat on the table and turned his head in my direction. "That's not up to me. That's up to the evidence. They can speak for themselves."

"It's also up to the chairpersons who will serve as judges in our trial," I added as I walked toward him. "Kayneth, you know that the majority of the committee is biased against us. You and I worked together to block their standard-bearer from assuming the presidency. Hindi pa nagsisimula ang trial, meron na silang verdict. Don't you think that's unfair?"

"As the Ombudsman, I trust that the chairpersons will render judgment on this case based on the merit of evidence," he insisted. "I shall not make any presumptions that they will put their self-serving interests over the pursuit of truth and justice."

"In an ideal world, that would be the case—"

"Castiel," he called my name coldly, cutting my words short, "I'm not your counsel this time, but I'm advising you not to speak another word about the impeachment. Now, if you will excuse me."

He was a no-nonsense person who would only do his job. He only cared about laws—the same way Reynard was obsessed with the truth—and vowed to dedicate his life to that path.

More than half a year later, I never thought that we would be facing such a formidable opponent. Wala siyang beef sa amin. Ngunit dahil siya ang napiling Ombudsman, kailangan niyang gawin ang responsabilidad niya bilang punong taga-usig. If he were on our side, the odds would have been in our favor.

"Coercing a student council officer—in this case, a chairperson—to vote in favor of a motion in exchange for not leaking a devastating piece of information seems to fall under that category. In this trial, I shall prove to you that the defendants have committed an impeachable offense and must therefore be removed from office."

Once he was done with his opening statement, the next to rise was our anointed defender—another Political Science student who was on par with Kayneth in argumentation. In fact, they belonged to the same debate team. As it happened, Priam was also part of it—which made convincing her to represent us much easier.

"Welcome, Ate Helene," Priam greeted her when she dropped by the USC office a few days ago. Sinalubong namin siya sa lounge. We wanted to dazzle her with the prestige of our office.

"Thank you, Priam. Or should I call you Mr. President since we're here?" Helene greeted back with a smile. Her bobcut hair bounced as she came closer to us. "I'm assuming you've called me here to discuss your upcoming impeachment trial? Wala akong ibang business sa USC at wala rin tayong upcoming debate competition kaya wala akong maisip na reason kung bakit mo ako ipatatawag dito maliban doon."

"You hit the bullseye, ate."

"This way." I motioned with my hand to the aquarium. The lounge was not conducive for such conversation. In-escort namin siya sa conference room kung saan mas private ang magiging discussion namin. Our fellow officers craned their necks from their cubicles to catch a glimpse of our guest.

"Please take a seat." Priam gestured to the vacant chair across from him. Hinintay naming makaupo ang aming bisita bago kami umupo. "Thank you for taking the time. Alam kong busy ka sa acads."

Helene put her hands on top of each other on the table. "There's no way I can turn down an invitation from the USC president... and from my junior and teammate."

"As you know," I pushed my eyeglasses up the bridge of my nose, "Kayneth has been designated as the Ombudsman. He's been tasked with the daunting responsibility of—"

"I'm in."

I raised my gaze at her and stared for a few seconds. "You're in? But we haven't—"

She held up a hand. "You don't have to finish what you're supposed to say. You want me to be your counsel for your impeachment trial because you believe that I'm the only one who can match wits with Kane. Am I right?"

Priam and I exchanged glances before nodding together at her.

"Then again, my answer is yes." Her lips stretched into a wide grin. "Kane and I have been teammates for so long that I almost forgot we were initially rivals. It's going to be a breath of fresh air if we will face off in the impeachment court. Iniisip ko pa lang, nae-excite na ako!"

"W-We're glad to hear that," Priam replied with an awkward smile. He also probably did not expect to secure her "yes" in less than three minutes. "I'm sure that Kuya Kane will also be thrilled to debate with you."

"So," Helene's gaze darted between me and the president, "what are the facts?"

Today, and in the succeeding sessions, the two top debaters would be adversaries. They brought in a heavyweight, so we must also bring in someone with the same caliber.

"My name is Helene Fabio, counsel for the USC," she began before crossing the floor. "I'm here to argue that the accusation being hurled at the president and the vice president are not enough to merit impeachment. It's easy to make accusations, but it's difficult to prove them, especially when they stand on shaky ground. At the end of this trial, you will realize that the president and the VP have acted within the boundaries of the Constitution and have not committed any offenses that may warrant impeachment."

Helene returned to our side. I nodded at her as a sign of approval. Kung puwedeng ako ang mag-defend sa amin, ginawa ko na sana. Kaso masyadong akong malapit, masyadong involved sa case na ito. I might make a blunder that would seal Priam and Val's fate. We concluded that it was best to leave it to the experts.

"Kayneth, you may now call your first witness."

"I call on the former chairperson of the CCS' student council," Kayneth announced.

Val and I exchanged nervous glances. Should Chevy say the right words and show some receipts, we would be done.

Lumapit sa witness stand ang lalaking lumalim na ang eyebags dahil yata sa stress. Truth be told, he deserved the ordeal that he must be facing right now. Kung tumupad siya sa usapan namin, hindi malalagay sa peligro ang posisyon niya. He would still be the chairperson and he would not be hounded by Fabienne's loyal supporters. But I understood why he had to do what he did. Hawak siya sa leeg ni Alaric the Prick kaya kinailangan niyang sumunod sa utos nito.

"Chevy," Kayneth began, "can you tell us in detail the coercion that you claimed to have personally witnessed?"

Napaubo muna ang dating chairperson na parang may plemang nakabara sa lalamunan. "Nangyari ito ilang araw bago ang botohan para sa Freedom of Information motion. Valeria Encarnacion, the vice president, asked me to meet her in a not so well-known resto sa food hub. Kasama niya ang kanilang chief-of-staff na si Castiel Seville. Alam ko na kung ano'ng pag-uusapan namin, pero tumuloy pa rin ako sa meeting bilang respeto sa USC."

Back then, I thought he was a small fish that I needed to lure in using a bait. Little did I know that he was a bait arranged for us by Alaric the Prick. Oh, well. I wished that I could turn back the hands of time and not do what I did. But alas, I could not.

"Naghintay silang dalawa sa 'kin sa isang booth," kuwento niya. "Tinanong nila kung may chance pa raw bang magbago ang isip ko tungkol sa boto ko sa FOI motion. Sinabi kong desidido na ako. Doon na nila inilabas ang kanilang baraha—isang report na nagdadawit sa 'kin sa pagpapakalat ng fake news kay Fabienne Lucero."

I folded my arms across my chest as I took in a sharp breath. Ramdam ko ang pagbaling ng tingin sa akin ni Val. That was all true, and we got nothing to say in our defense.

"Ang sabi nila, kung hindi ako boboto pabor sa FOI, ilalabas nila ang report. Just to be clear, hindi ko kino-confirm na totoo ang nakalagay ro'n. Fact man 'yon o bluff para takutin ako, I gave in dahil ayaw kong masira ang image ko at ang integridad ng council namin."

"So did you do exactly what they told you?" Kayneth asked. "In exchange for not releasing the report?"

"I have no choice kundi sundin ang gusto nila," sagot ni Chevy na may pag-iling. "Mabuti't ilang araw bago ang botohan, nagpatawag ng meeting ang majority leader namin—si Alaric—para sabihan kami na suportahan ang FOI motion. Medyo nakahinga ako nang maluwag kasi hindi ko na kinailangang bumoto ng labag sa konsiyensiya ko."

"Did you inform the majority leader about the attempted coercion?"

"Ilang araw kong pinag-isipan kung sasabihin ko ba sa kaniya. Alam kong busy siya at ang partymates ko sa kani-kanilang council. It took me a week or two para magkaroon ng lakas ng loob."

Kayneth turned to the chairpersons. "Based on Chevy's testimony, two facts have come to light. First, the USC tried to weaponize the report that they later on released to blackmail a CSC chairperson. Second, there's a quid pro quo between the two parties. With that, I yield my time."

"Thank you, Kayneth," Alaric the Prick said after moving the mic close to his mouth. "Helene, you may cross-examine the witness."

"Good luck," I whispered.

"I don't need luck. I need the right questions to ask," Helene whispered back before crossing the floor again and facing the embattled ex-chairperson. "Chevy, you mentioned the report that the USC allegedly used to blackmail you. Do you have a copy of it?"

"It's printed on The Herald. I'm sure na nabasa n'yo na ro'n kung updated kayo sa mga ganap sa campus."

Helene's lips twisted into a smirk. "What I mean is, meron ka bang proof na ang report na ini-release ng USC ay ang kaparehong report na binanggit mo sa 'yong testimony?"

"W-Wala akong proof kasi hindi ako binigyan ng kopya. Hindi ko rin in-expect na iba-blackmail ako kaya wala akong naka-ready na camera para kunan ng retrato ang document na ipinakita sa 'kin."

"May maipapakita ka ba na kahit anong proof na may nangyaring transaction sa pagitan n'yo?"

"Sinubukan naming kunin ang CCTV footage no'ng araw na nag-meet kami sa resto, kaso hindi raw functional ang kanilang surveillance camera. Meron din akong audio recording ng buong conversation namin, kaso na-delete ko na at sinusubukan kong i-retrieve ngayon."

"Then how can we be sure na binlackmail ka nga at may material na ginamit na pam-blackmail sa 'yo?" tanong ni Helene habang nakaharap sa mga chairperson. "Without any proof, you could just make up claims and throw them at the USC."

I covered my mouth as my lips curled into a smirk. Maliban sa kaunting customers, pinili ko talaga ang restaurant na 'yon dahil hindi gumagana ang kanilang CCTV camera. If I were to coerce someone, I would not leave any evidence behind.

"Pero hindi gawa-gawa 'yon! Totoo ang mga sinabi ko! Tanungin n'yo man sina Castiel at Valeria!" pagpupumilit ni Chevy. "In fact, meron pa ngang ipinapirmang agreement sa 'kin para maging binding ang kasunduan namin."

"Where is that agreement?" Helene turned her palm up as if she was begging for alms. "Can you produce a hard or even a soft copy of it?"

"I can't kasi hindi ako binigyan ng kopya."

"Then that puts doubt on your testimony," she concluded, facing the chairpersons once again. "How can we be certain that the agreement as well as the material used for coercion do exist? Can we rely on the words of someone who has been proven to spread hatred and fake news about Theater Arts student Fabienne Lucero?"

Unbeknownst to our sweet First Lady, she was somewhat helping us in this trial. Priam did not want to drag her into this mess, but she was undoubtedly involved whether directly or indirectly. Makakaladkad at makakaladkad pa rin ang pangalan niya.

"Those are just accusations—"

"—validated by our university's network administrators," Helene cut his words short. "They do not work for the USC so we can rely on their report. But can we rely on the words of a disgraced chairperson who stepped down because of a scandal?"

I bowed my head, trying to suppress my smirk. Alaric the Prick and his cabal probably thought that Chevy was the grenade that we pulled the pin from and threw at ourselves. But they did not know that we could throw him back at them.

"The credibility of the witness' claims as well as his character is now in question," Helene concluded. "If this is the best witness that the prosecution can summon here, they have to do better. I yield my time."

Chevy hung his head low. Ilang beses na siyang napahiya nitong nakaraan. Mukhang mapahihiya na naman siya ngayon. I was tempted to feel sorry for him, but I could not muster any pity for a person who allowed themselves to become tools to destroy us.

"Does the Ombudsman have any follow-up questions?" Alaric the Prick asked.

Kayneth stood again, but remained in his position. "I have no further questions for the witness, but I would like to inform this committee that we have already asked the university's IT department to look into the computers, laptops, and other devices issued to the USC and check if any document that matches the witness' claims does exist. Should they find anything, we will present it as evidence in the next hearing."

"Thank you, Kayneth."

Good luck on finding a non-existent needle in a haystack. Sabrina was not a fool who would use any of our university-issued devices to create an incriminating evidence. Sinabihan ko siyang mag-draft ng agreement gamit ang personal niyang laptop. The only way they could legally retrieve that agreement was through a subpoena—which no judge would issue because this was not a criminal proceeding.

"Let us adjourn today's hearing and resume next week." Alaric the Prick struck the gavel. Nagsitayuan na ang mga chairperson maging ang mga reporter na nagko-cover nitong hearing. I spotted Reynard among them.

Nakahinga na nang maluwag si Val habang napapikit naman si Priam. They had nothing to worry about for now, as the prosecution failed to corner us. It was all thanks to the precautions I had taken beforehand and the brilliance of our defender.

"You did great today," I said as I rose to my feet with the help of my cane.

"Don't celebrate yet," Helene cautioned as she stuffed a folder into her bag. "You're up next on the witness list. If you mess up in the next hearing, our gains today will be all for naught."

"Do you think this can change anything?" Val asked. Tumayo na rin siya at napaunat ng mga braso at binti. Just sitting still for almost an hour must have worn her out. "Hindi ba't done deal na ang hearing na 'to at parang formality na lang?"

"Based on what you've told me, none of the chairperson-judges are going to change their minds about impeaching you two." Helene tossed a glance at the president and VP. "So we're not convincing six or nine chairpersons. We're convincing the student body. They will be the ultimate judge of your fate. But who knows? Baka may tubuan ng konsiyensiya sa siyam na 'yan."

"I'll be surprised if someone does—" My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I fished it out. The notification showed Rowan's name flashing across the screen.

Rowan Oronce (5:48 p.m.)
Check this out ASAP.

My left eyebrow arched. May sinend siyang link mula sa social media account ng isa sa campus entertainment press namin. My eyes widened as I saw the photo and read the accompanying caption.

A QUEEN ABANDONING HER KING?Fabienne Lucero, dubbed as the First Lady because of her relationship with USC President Priam Torres, is seen here being sweet with her fellow lead actor Colin Duran.

"Ano 'yan?" tanong ni Val na sinubukang silipin ang screen ko. "Mukhang seryoso, ah?"

"Is something wrong?" Priam asked with furrowed eyebrows. "Cas? Is it something we need to know?"

Of course, especially him. I showed them the post displayed on my phone screen. They looked a bit confused at first, then surprised.

The nerve on my temple twitched. Someone was messing with my backup plan.

♔

NEXT UPDATE: We will return to The Herald's newsroom!