LAW OF FANGS AND CLAWS

It is the first time the court room will weigh the scale of justice between man and monster. However for Attorney Santos, this is nothing but history repeating itself again: man faced by the unexplained will do nothing but to destroy. A swift, absolute but defective judgment much like what happened to the hundreds of women burned alive in the infamous Salem witch trial.

Now at this very moment, the people’s ignorance overpowers the already blind justice of their nation.

Upon seeing the yellow eyed, ear pointed and sharp toothed Manuel Exmundo enters the hall, anyone can easily say that he is already guilty of the heinous murder that happened three days ago in one of the rooms found in a cheap apartment in Cubao.

The victim identified as Matilda Munoz, a 26 working class woman who slowly but surely climbing the ladder of her corporate dreams, was found lifeless and drowning on her own crimson pool in her room. There is no sign of forced entry or burglary. She just died on the spot in brutal fashion without even managing to cry for help.

In the exact day, one of the tenant accidentally caught on act Manuel Exmundo savoring the taste of fresh meat inside his own room. It was a 10 year old kid who peep through the tiny slits on his door out of sheer curiosity saw how he devour chunks of bloodied flesh with ecstatic face. He even saw how his tongue elongated as it lick the red smears all over his face after his feast.

It turns out that the so called “Hermit of Unit 13” in their place is a spawn of hell lurking behind the concrete walls of a shabby building and living among his favored prey.

“Just look at him. His face says it all! He is a murderer!” Angry fingers point at Manuel like nozzle of gun while their words are the bullet that peppering his body and soul with hurtful projectiles. The people in the court room are going hysterical as their noises filled the four walls with inaudible cacophony. It takes a repetitive ‘order in the court’ in full volume from her strained voice of the judge and numerous pound of her pommel to silence them yet their eyes still speak of louder and louder as they cast an abhorred gaze towards Manuel.

Perpetual silence came only when Attorney Mauricio Santos, the defendant of the monster, stand up and begin the trial proper. Attorney Santos perhaps is the only one inside the court who knows and understand the whole story and the exact truth of the incident that conspire inside the apartment. However even with skills and sound arguments, he knows that the ugly truth is a bitter that majority will never wanted to swallow. Shove it in their throat and they will retaliate; making you suddenly the enemy despite the good intentions.

To put it simply, man’s judgment by origin is nothing but superficial. Whatever is “unacceptable” base on their standards is automatically labelled as evil. Unwanted. Despicable.

“After the thorough test from experts, it was found that what Mr. Exmundo is eating that day is not human meat but a fresh cuts of meat coming from a newly butchered pig. Therefore the alleged connection that the prosecutor is trying to connect between him and Ms. Munoz is invalid.”

“Objection your honor, counsel is making a statement, not asking a question!” Attorney Novatos, the prosecutor of the case, angrily sprang from his seat with knitted brows and clenched fist as he bare his teeth like a mad beast to his opponent.

“Objection overruled. Continue.”

The cycle of questions and answer with derogatory side comments in between push on until it is the time of Attorney Novatos to examine Mr. Exmundo.

“Mr. Exmundo, there is this question that me and this people of the court wanted to confirm by all means.” The defendant let his statement hang for a second as he planted his gaze to Manuel; a simple yet effective psychological tactics in the courtroom to intimidate and induce panic to anyone under scrutiny.

“Are you a human?”

“Of course not!” Somebody shouted from the crowd.

“Objection! The question has no relevance!” Attorney Santos fired back.

“Sustained. Please rephrase the question Attorney Novatos.”

Attorney Novatos make a smug smile while looking at the fuming Attorney Santos after nodding at the judge.

“Can you explain to us Mr. Exmundo why are you eating a fresh meat inside your unit?”

Mr.Exmundo’s face express a stark melancholy that soften his bestial features. He basked in a few more seconds before answering the query with a slightly quivering voice.

“You don’t know how it feels like attorney. To survive through nothing but eating flesh. I didn’t want this but what am I supposed to do? I can’t eat anything other than entrails, blood soaked chunks of flesh and bones. You don’t know anything because you are all afraid of me!”

“Answer the question Mr. Exmundo as simple as you can!” The prosecutor sternly said while leaning closer and closer to Manuel’s face with his set of blazing eyes that prods the suspect deeper and deeper. The people in the court room starts to get restless once more upon hearing the probing of Attorney Novatos.

Manuel know what they wanted to hear and it makes me sick despite the fact that it is the truth. Perhaps like them he can’t digest the truth as easy as he wanted to be. It will always leave a bitter aftertaste and a heaviness in the pit of his soul.

“I am a Bag-Ong Yanggaw. A newly turned Aswang.”

Once more the crowd’s unruly behavior resurface and create a wild, chaotic atmosphere inside the court. Some even attempt to attack Mr. Exmundo by throwing their chairs on him or anything they grasp on their hand. Luckily, the police officers immediately pacify them before they can even commence hurting anyone.

“As you say, my face says it all. I am not like you. Not anymore. I didn’t even know how I end up like this. Who would want to live like an animal whose master is the devilish hunger inside of him? Who would want to live his day stuffing himself with blood and innards? I swear if only there is a cure to this then I would give everything just to have it!” The agony in the face of Manuel is further highlighted by the gushing fluids coming from his eyes and nose.

“The only cure for you is death!” The people scream in unison; sympathy didn’t reach their neither their heart nor mind for both are permanently sealed by fear and ignorance.

“By definition, an Aswang is a man eater isn’t it?” Attorney Novatos continue his tirade as he see now that the Manuel is already on his breaking point and his loosen tongue will probably spit haphazardly words that will endanger him further in the case.

“Yes. We are supposedly eat the meat from the likes of you. But since the day I become an Aswang, never did I tasted nor indulge in savoring anyone’s flesh. I only eat the meat from freshly butchered pigs or cows which luckily a certain supplier provide me with free delivery.”

“Are you saying then that never did you hunger for any flesh of man? That it never cross your mind? Fantasize how it could taste as compare to those poultry animals fattened with grass alone?”

Manuel didn’t answer the provoking questions of the prosecutor. His yellow eyes though created to have a venomous glare to his prey didn’t exhume such quality. Instead it was pleading to stop the questions. To stop the noise.

“How about now Manuel? Aren’t your stomach is churning now to the sight of naked flesh?” To add more fire to the already searing series of question, Attorney Novatos unbuttoned his shirt and expose his bare skin underneath it. Beads of sweat are splattered on its surface which to the vision of Manuel is akin to meat coated on its thick, greasy oil that send violent tingle all over his bones.

“Answer me Manuel!”

“Objection your honor! The prosecutor is getting disrespectful!” Attorney Santos is now approaching Attorney Novatos with his fist hardened by anger that is about to lose control. But before he can smash the prosecutor’s face into pulp, a loud sound suddenly erupt inside the court; a long, spine chilling wail that neutralize every kind of voice and noise created by the people in the trial. Enough to silence everyone once and for all.

It was coming from Miguel as he cower from his seat and covering his ears like a child that heard enough of the sound of pain and chaos.

“Please stop it! I didn’t kill anyone! Please stop this! I don’t want to do this anymore!”

Due to the disorderly course of the trial, the judge decided to suspend the case and will resume upon notice. However, Manuel will be detained temporarily out of the decision that he still can pose a danger due to his “special” condition. The judge added further that the case will underwent a different procedure knowing that the alleged culprit  might not be considered as human and therefore the law is limited as per the case and an extensive study must be conducted in order to come up with a new resolution regarding the dilemma pose by the case.

Whether the court will be clear whether he is convicted or absolve from a criminal case, Manuel will never found justice in the hands of men. Perhaps they will release him soon and be cleared from any culpability of the murder but the people around him will ever for eternity accuse him of things he is not capable of.

But because he is a monster, they have a self-made prerogative to hurl accusations to him and impose their veracity no matter how ridiculous are they.

This is the real law of man; a justice without a blindfold and its tongue cuts deeper than the sword it wield.

“I am sorry Manuel...I am really sorry.” Attorney Santos tried to console the Aswang although he knew that this too is futile. Manuel will be put in an isolated jail alone and the security on it will be doubled or tripled.

“You did your best Attorney. But I guess your justice exclude my kind from its protection.” A teary eyed Manuel manage to break a sad smile before the security officials put his handcuff and a gag ball on his mouth.

Attorney Santos stood there motionless while watching the shadow of Manuel walk across the seemingly long and narrow and hall towards the walls of iron. Pondering the words of his client, the lawyer can’t help but see more humanity on him than those people who looks normal yet what lies in their chest is a pitch black heart of a real beast.

Manuel is right; the justice of man is not for him. Therefore a different kind of justice must be applied in this case instead.

Attorney Mauricio Santos turns his back away from the court and found himself walking to a hall more darker than what Manuel is walking to. But in spite of the darkness he found the light at the end of it. The redeeming light of righteous wrath.

A week later, an unexpected news came that made the case of Manuel Exmudo a catalyst to recognize the existence of beast among men and the law that they heed whenever the justice of man is compromising them.

Attorney Novatos and the rest of the complaining party present during the trial of Manuel are all slain. The weapon used in crime is not yet find but the manner the bodies are being hacked and slashed beyond recognition proves that it was something with wickedly sharp edge and toughness that it enables it to sever even bones.

Lying beside their dismembered remained is a placard where ragged letters in red paint formed words of warning to any men who used their brand of mindless justice against the kind of Manuel Exmundo:

“This is the law of fangs and claws.”