Stereotyped, Maligned, Bismirched

This blog post is fueled by my support for a classmate in law school, Jed Carlo Lazaga who is a victim of last Sundays bar exam blast.  He was wrongfully named as the suspect of the afore mentioned incident.

There are probably a few names that some malicious people call us just to spite us and incite our anger.  A few of those names could probably set us on fire instantaneously.  Nothing irks me more than being called stupid because I know for a fact that I am not.  But what is being called stupid compared to being tagged and accused as a murderer, a bomber to be exact?  Now that is social death.

Mr. Lazaga was a pointed to as the bomber man by a group of Tau Gamma Phi members who dragged him into an unmanned police booth where he was slapped, mauled and robbed to boot while being made to answer for the bombing incident.  

The police was quick to present his name to the media as the suspect because they needed to appear to have been prompt and efficient in taking control of the situation.  This is a classic case of dont judge a book by its cover.  They probably looked at Mr. Lazaga as an easy prey who looks the part of a suspect that can make the police look good again.  

Unfortunately for them, Mr. Lazaga is backed upped by a team of brilliant lawyers that will fight to the teeth just to protect their student.  I imagine the police are probably dumb founded and cursing themselves AGAIN for picking someone not from Manila as the escape goat/fall guy.

If Mr. Lazaga had not been a law student, had he not been a stranger to Manila and if he had been just a plain citizen who was curious of the merry making on the streets then most probably he will have remained as a suspect and suffer for something he did not do.

I dont know how the police can clean their act and for how long their reputation remains tainted I just wish that they would now see that the only way for them to be seen in a different light is for them to start doing their jobs the right way.  Its going to take a loooong time so please start now and no fuck ups this time.