7/18/2019 Final Paper for Sem 3

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SECOND CHANCES

By: Wel Nichole Caalim Verder

It was very unusual for me to wake up at 5:00 in the morning on

a unday! I stayed up late the night "efore to #nish my review notes on

Natural $esources! But then again% I o"ligated myself to wake up! I took

a warm "ath% raided my closet to #nd my red shirt% #&ed my stu'%

gra""ed my crinkles and cookies% took my keys% and drove to school!

(s I was driving the almost)empty streets of the *etro% I was

visuali+ing what would happen within the day! It would "e my #rst time

to visit a prison% and "y that% I mean% a city ,ail! I hope they will "e

warm% kind% and most especially% respectful! (ltogether% I told myself 

that my goal was to learn something from them "efore the day ends! I

#nally arrived at an Beda% parked my car% and looked for my

classmates! -et.s do this!

I was with the /ransportation Committee on the way to *anila

City ail! We almost got lost "ecause 1oogle *aps wasn.t so helpful

that day! We asked twice from the people around $ecto% until #nally% we

are there!

 /he street towards *anila City ail was narrow% with several

residential houses outside% ,ust "efore its gate! It was only 2:00 (*

when we arrived% "ut the line of visitors was already long! /hey were

mostly women and kids% holding a container #lled with food% water% and

fruits! ust a #rst view% yet% I am already overwhelmed!

I felt uneasy upon entering the city ,ail proper! I told one of my

classmates to not leave my side since I felt a little scared! Not that Iam "eing ,udgmental% "ut that was my #rst time% and I think it.s normal

to feel that way! (s we were waiting at a speci#c designated area% I

was ,ust o"serving the inmates who pass our way! /hey were wearing

clean yellow shirts% comforta"le shorts% and decent slippers! ome

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were sweeping the 3oor% delivering "read% re#lling water% and even

reading newspapers! But mostly% some were staring at us with utmost

curiosity! *ay"e they were happy "ecause they see 4new people! I am

positive that they don.t get to see that a lot!

6' we go to the event area! It was a chapel! /hey covered the

altar with a curtain% set up a ta"le in front% and provided us with

microphones and even an ampli#er! When we arrived there% the

inmates were still incomplete! I was looking at the "ack while the

inmates were still "eing completed! /hey were smiling% happy% and

e&cited! I honestly do not know how do they manage to smile despite

their condition! /he city ,ail wasn.t as pleasing as the prisons that I see

in (merican /V series! /he *anila City ail was #lthy% hot% small% and

crowded! It was not comforta"le at all! Not to mention% they are "eing

tried% or even convicted of a crime! (gain% we are still not sure if they

really committed the same!

We #nally started the program! I had the chance of knowing 7uya

8ondon! 9e was years old% a resident of -aguna% a good father% and

a loving hus"and! I introduced myself to him and he willingly shared

his stories to me! 9e was a *arketing *anagement graduate; a

"usinessman in -aguna; his wife was a professor at the <amantasan ng

-ungsod ng *aynila% who is currently taking up his 8octorate 8egree;

he has three children% two of them are already in college% and they

"oth graduated high school as Class Valedictorian; the youngest was

the unica hi,a% with pro"a"ly an =instein "rain% "eing in 1rade > at ?

years old! I was surprised of his family "ackground! 9e seems good

"ased on the stories that he shared! Why is he here@

I didn.t ask a"out his case% "ut along the way% he told me his

story! 9e was charged under $epu"lic (ct No! A5% or the

Comprehensive 8angerous 8rugs (ct! 9e was alleged to have

committed an o'ense that was non)"aila"le! 9ence% his D years stay in

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the *anila City ail! 6ut of respect to 7uya 8ondon% I will not disclose

the nitty)gritty facts of his case!7uya 8ondon is still lucky despite his situation! 9e has a family

that supports him% a "eautiful and loving wife who doesn.t give up on

him% and children who e&cel in their academics! 9e has everything%

e&cept freedom ) freedom that was taken away from him "ecause of a

wrongful accusation! /he prosecution keeps on pinning him down "y

producing witnesses that has no idea a"out the case! While 7uya

8ondon was narrating his story% I can.t help "ut feel sad and mad at

the same time! /his is the reality that I have to face when I "ecome a

lawyer ) innocent people "eing incarcerated "ecause of forces that is

"eyond their control! /he "iggest criminals in our society wear ties% nottattoos! /hey are the people with education and "lessed with the "est

life that the world could o'er% yet most often than not% they use what

they have to hurt people instead of helping them!

*y e&perience in *anila City ail taught me one important thing E

appreciate the small things in life! With all the things that society

introduces to us% we seldom forget the essential things that will make

us happy! <eople usually think that the latest i<hone% a new car% the

hottest game console% a trip to <aris% a vacation at Bali% or attending

the -a"oracay party would make them happy! No% it won.t! What will

make one happy is "eing with his family% en,oying a good conversation

while eating simple food% knowing that your children are growing in

grace and knowledge% and having a strong relationship with 1od! 7uya

8ondon taught me this! 9e taught me that a "ump in the road should

not "e a reason to completely remain fallen! /rust in the -ord for 9e

will "ring you through it! It may "e a long process% "ut nevertheless%

the pain will come to an end!

4(ttorney Wel% kapag la"as ko dito% sana magkita tayo ulit!

Ipapakilala kita sa asawa at mga anak ko! *araming salamat sa

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pagdalaw niyo! /hose were 7uya 8ondon.s words "efore we #nally

leave the city ,ail! I shook his hand% wished him good luck% and thanked

him for a wonderful day! It might "e a short time% "ut his story will "e

forever in my heart and mind!

1uilty or not% prisoners are still human "eings E in need of love%

compassion% and understanding! We will never know their story unless

we reach out and ask for it! We will never know why they do what they

did unless we take time and hear them! (s a human "eing% we are not

only free to do what we want; we are also free to make mistakes!

=very"ody makes mistakes! I make mistakes! 1eniuses make mistakes!

 /he Church makes mistakes! It is inevita"le! 7uya 8ondon pro"a"ly

made one% "ut it doesn.t mean that he is not capa"le of changing! We

should give him a chance so that he can "e with his family and "e the

"est man that he can "e!