Kho Yute, Rotsen LlB-1C March 8, 2014

REACTION PAPER IN THE MOVIE ON THE JOB

The movie tells the story of two distinct characters namely Mario Tatang Maghari who is a veteran hit man from Manila Jail on which his status as a prisoner is changed whenever he is called to do an assassination job and Francis Colonel, Jr. who is a NBI agent and an idealistic lawyer investigating the murder case of a drug dealer slayed publicly. While watching the movie, I felt sorry for our country. Ironically, our country is facing a lot of situations revolving around corruption scandals at the highest ranks of our government and sadly nothing has been done to punish those who are culprits. It is not a new concept to me that the penal system in our country is infected with corruption and a lot of influence coming from high-profile personas dominates the system and as a result, injustice consumes the country. This reaction paper will focus to the role of Francis Colonel, Jr. Worthy of noting is the role of Francis Colonel, Jr. in this movie. As a lawyer, it is his primary duty to society to uphold the Constitution, obey the laws of the land and promote respect for law and legal processes. This duty is emphasized in Canon 1 of the Code of Professional Responsibility and in the attorneys oath. By swearing the lawyers oath, an attorney becomes a guardian of truth and the rule of law and an indispensable instrument in the fair and impartial administration of justice. Further, rule 1.01 states that a lawyer shall not engage in unlawful, dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct. In the later part of the movie, Francis violated this rule. He concealed and was hesitant to disclose the information he knew regarding the trade that is running under prison. It is my understanding that it is a favor asked by the father of his wife who also happens to be a congressman. I understand that he have personal obligations he owe to his

family but as a lawyer, where I assume he voluntarily chose for himself, Francis swore to be the guardian of truth and the rule of law. When confronted with a situation like this, he should have chosen to divulge what he knew at the very beginning because of the duty he promised to fulfill in compliance to his oath in his chosen profession. He was dishonest and his decision in the later part of the movie to disclose what he knew is already too late. In connection to the violation of rule 1.01 is another violation in rule 6.02 of the Code of Professional Responsibility. Rule 6.02 states that a lawyer in the government service shall not use his public position to promote or advance his private interests, nor allow the latter to interfere with his public duties. Government lawyers are public servants and they owe utmost fidelity to the public service in consonance of the principle that a public office is a public trust. They do not shed their professional obligations in assuming public positions. Furthermore, under Section 4 of R.A. No. 6713, public officials are required to uphold the public interest over and above personal interest; must discharge their duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and skill; act with justness and sincerity; provide service without discrimination; extend prompt, courteous and adequate service to the public; be loyal to the Republic; commit themselves to the democratic way of life and values; and lead modest lives. I personally believe that Francis, as he was occupying a public position as an NBI agent and as a lawyer at the same time, violated this rule in his heed to honor the request of his father-in-law. It is a clear violation of this rule despite of his intentions in the later part to amend his mistakes. But I am impressed and I really commend Francis in his decision before the movie ends. Lets face it, in reality this is rarely happening and let us add to that as an element our culture. In our culture, family should be valued at all times. This is the concept that the movie wanted us to realize that family should not be the basis of our decisions especially if we knew in our hearts that they are wrong or that they had committed a wrongful act. How can we administer justice if in ourselves we are not just? But then again as I said, this is a sad reality in our society that

we should accept. Somehow, through this movie, I believe that those who are guilty of doing what was portrayed should be ashamed of themselves and I think the realization that this movie gave to its viewers after watching it would help in slowly changing the system. In the ending of the movie, I was left hanging. There are many questions that are running to my mind like what now will happen since Francis died at the end and the evidences he gathered, what will happen to those? Is there going to be someone who will utilize it to bring justice? I think this movie must have a sequel in order to fully conclude the storyline. To be honest, I was too focused in the tragic death of Francis because I rarely see movies of this kind where the main character dies. I think the movie is a really good material to appreciate the application of legal ethics but of course here comes a big comparison that can be made; in the movies versus reality. As always, reality is in conflict with what the movie wanted to conclude though movies are considered to be reflections of a perfect reality. This movie somehow portrays scenarios very close to what is really happening in our society. To conclude I wanted to share my favorite quote in connection to the essence of this movie: Three Simple Rules in Life: 1. If you do not go after what you want, youll never have it.; 2. If you do not ask, the answer will always be no.; 3. If you do not step FORWARD, you will ALWAYS be in the same place. Change is a big word but I believe that we should embody the meaning of this word to become more flexible and successful in our chosen professions.