Will truth really set you free? In the age of relativism, of dissension, of gray areas, truth seems elusive, almost impossible to grasp. Mr./Ms. President and honorable members of the jury, I stand before you to fulfill a moral obligation to truth. The defendant is afforded with the opportunity to argue its case and prove its innocence. Assumption Antipolo, however, does not aim to argue; it only aims to educate.
Only to prove that the prosecution’s evidence and witnesses are justifiable by law, we have all witnessed my client suffering a painful question. After years of service, what would you feel if something you built up would be tarnished and called irrelevant, outdated, elitist or indifferent? The defendant has endured that for so long; yet it remains steadfast to its mission.
The evidence presented are only minor details in a much greater whole. They can only support that which we hold just by law. We may be able to decide for justice; but with only these, we cannot judge for truth. However, what it lacks is a touch of humanity. What I will provide to close this case is a human experience – another perspective for the members of the jury.
As the prosecution has uncovered, I am indeed of Plaid Blood. Of course; I wore the skirt, knotted the necktie, and wore the pin. I’ve gone through the C-5 and the EDSA, the Bio Trip, CAT, and all those that most believe define an Assumptionist. These are what most people see. But what they do not see is that the blood that flows in our veins goes far deeper than the garments, the songs, the PTs, the practices, and the banalities of AA student life. There is a spirit beneath every intellect and heart transformed by Assumption Antipolo.
In appealing to your understanding, I must tell you even what is hidden behind closed doors. Let me tell you that I have seen student leaders praying together for strength because they hoped to give back the best to the community that nurtured them; a batch that has lowered down pride and victory to give way for compassion and unity; every IP group, class, club, and varsity team say “All for Him,” in unison before facing a giant; teachers and staff in humble thanksgiving for every little blessing in disguise; students who would go out on their ways to drive pedicabs and paint houses; graduates who come back to thank the school for helping them build a foundation and a vocation. I have seen love, faith, and peace. Behind closed doors, I have seen a place for the glory of God. For what AA has opened my eyes to, I will forever be grateful
Irrelevant and outdated, they say. Do we not adapt to the changing times in the issues of the RH Bill and various demands of the K+12 system? Elitist, they say. Is it not that Saint Marie Eugenie holds the virtue that education is key to empowerment and equality? Indifferent, they say. What schools immerse students in menial work and the realities of this country if not AA?
The world can only judge by what it sees. Assumption Antipolo does not work to be seen by the eyes of men, but only by the eyes of God. My client does not ask for acquittal or justice to appease the laws of this land. No matter how this case ends, the school will continue to work for the spirit of truth and justice in the laws of God.
Honorable members of the jury, I have educated you. I came here to answer the call of defending what is true and what is right. Now, I leave with you the plea to educate the rest of the world about the truth on these assumptions. If there was one thing that I have learned in three years in Assumption Antipolo – it is that education, united with truth, will set a person free, and ultimately, transform the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I rest my case.
