Episode 5

Joseph Liston: Claudia?

Claudia Ylaya: Oh, I’m sorry. What was the question again?

Joseph Liston: Councilman Tan, said he mediated a feud between you and the defendant Ms. Villamar. Is that true?

Claudia Ylaya: Yes.

Joseph Liston: And what was the fight all about?

Haunted and slacked-jawed of the question.

Claudia Ylaya: Aw, wha… I don’t know these things kind of happened so fast, I can’t remember, the next thing I knew we were exchanging barbs on some small and trivial things, such as headbands and earrings.

Joseph Liston: When did the Councilman stepped in?

Claudia Ylaya: When she was being hysterical and making a lot of fuss, she was making a scandal. She was yelling a lot of things, she even called me a ***** and some other vulgar words.

Joseph Liston: Are you saying that it was more spontaneous?

Claudia Ylaya: I guess pretty much.

Joseph Liston: Can you remember what your first few words to her before you and her started a heated argument?

Claudia Ylaya: I don’t exactly recall; I was just being cordial. And then she started to call me names later on.

Joseph Liston: Alright, for the other witnesses let me start with Roel.

Roel Cimafranca: Yes, TheDagWay post, I can only verify the last one, I even have a screenshot of it.

Roel Cimafranca opens his smartphone and opens the screenshot he took of the post and shows it to the mediator.

Joseph Liston: Hmmm… The witness has shown a screenshot of a post from Ms. Villamar indicating the name of Councilman Tan, first name. And it does coincide with the plaintiff’s printout copy. How sure are you that Ms. Villamar meant the councilman?

Roel Cimafranca: Honestly, I have no idea. I even thought it was someone else. I just came here to profess something that I have.

Joseph Liston: What made you take a screenshot of it? Since you have no idea who she was referring to.

Roel Cimafranca: I hated the alerts, and wanted to mute them altogether that day, and I accidentally took a screenshot, opening her post was even an accident. I even had several screenshots of her other posts that I deleted; I had those previous posts I think but I deleted those. I only recently found this one by chance, then I heard people talk about it. It was then that I did not delete the last one.

Joseph Liston: So, you have no idea if she meant this for the councilman?

Roel Cimafranca: I still don’t. Except for the circumstances that I am in now, I can only say I think so, but no direct knowledge to claim that she meant the councilman.

The mediator wrote a summary of Mr. Cimafranca’s statement.

Joseph Liston: Before I write a lot of things and everything gets so confusing. I have written here a brief statement of what you have just said. Can you please read it and then write your full name and signature above it?

The statement states:

I, Roel Cimafranca, hold in possession a screenshot of a post from Ms. Villamar which states that “What can you do? Robert is a coward.” And at the time of the post, I have no such knowledge which Robert she is referring to.

Mr. Cimafranca signs the statement on the logbook.

Joseph Liston: Mr. Cabigon, Dubby my friend, what is all of this, I mean we are all friends here right, I just don’t like this that we as workers at the Community Hall had to succumb to such fate. Can you give us your view of this issue?

Mr. Cabigon: Seph, I am as boggled as you are as to why she did all of this.

Joseph Liston: Are you saying that she actually did this?

Mr. Cabigon: I was right beside her, I even asked who it was that she was referring to, and she said it was the councilman. Councilman Tan.

Joseph Liston: What about you Emma and Sol, ladies?

Both ladies nod in agreement.

Joseph Liston: Can you ladies be more specific?

Emma Matinao: Well, I saw her and Dublin, talking and she was typing furiously. Then the posts alert came up and I saw her post.

Joseph Liston: So, did you immediately know it was Councilman Tan she was referring to.

Emma Matinao: Not in so many words, I suppose. I mean who would not assume that it is not the councilman. He said it out flatly in her first post.

Sol Estardante: I mean look at all the Council members, not to be picky or insulting he is the only handsome guy there. His face is so clean compared to the rest of us.

Joseph Liston: So, you all have screenshots of her posts?

The three of them in unison said ‘yes’.

Joseph Liston: Okay, let me just write a few statements here and you can sign this, each of you.

Camp Jonas

Lt. Col. John de la Cruz, enters the office of the Regional Director, General Directorate Region 7. John salutes the General with a snap on his heels, and the General salutes back.

RD Mantos: John, please sit, it is always nice to see you.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Thank you sir. It is an honor to serve alongside you.

RD Mantos: I am glad that GHQ agreed with my decision to promote you and put you in charge of the unit. In fact, the actions were more like yours than your predecessor… What was his name again? Never mind that.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Masangcay sir. Anyway, it was great that you had two of my NCOs given commission, in fact they sound more like Commissioned Officers, the way they handle the legality of every case.

RD Mantos: Well, this time we made the cut, I was able to hand in those before anyone else. I knew these things were going to be difficult to handle someday. So, what do you think of our security, Cyber Security?

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Most of our cases are actually petty in nature. So, no need for alarm on the security. The hackings do happen, simply because most are not aware of how to prevent these things.

RD Mantos: With regards to the business community? There have been scams right?

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Yes, but nothing that we can trace. CashMe, and iPay, and similar apps are basically secure, it is the user’s lack of awareness that usually leads them to be victimized. These apps have been very cooperative with law enforcement.

RD Mantos: So, when do we lose money?

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Oh, you mean, has there been incidents that we cannot trace the culprits?

RD Mantos: Precisely.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Well, CashMe is very liberal on who can get an account, although they give us the details of suspects. Whenever that happens, the more seasoned scam artists are long gone. Some we can trace the initial location through cell site triangulation.

RD Mantos: Just one quick question before we go back to that. Amidst all of this, why do you think cybercrime increased by an astronomical figure?

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Well, I guess we can only infer that most people are at home, because of this pandemic the world is in. Jobs are lost, so they start looking for opportunities on the web, as quickly as they can after several months of being jobless, because funds are fast depleting. Most people are not educated on doing business on the web, so they fall prey to scam artists.

RD Mantos: The way you put it John is easy to comprehend, unlike your predecessor, who talks like a politician, like one of those old TV shows on political satire of career civil servants. So, what do you think is the solution?

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Frankly I don’t. The best way is prevention. We tell them the signs of a scam. Proper information dissemination to the public, and massive campaign on social media. Especially TheDagWay since it's not very cooperative with crime prevention.

RD Mantos: Do you have a plan on it?

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Well, my predecessor and I did talk about it. And he had me write a plan, I’ll send it to you, it is kind of rough, we should let R&D look into it.

RD Mantos: See, he is a slave driver, he gets the credit while you do the job.

Lt. Col. de la Cruz: Well, I wouldn’t say that.

RD Mantos: You're such a modest man John.

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