Justice Delayed Justice Denied: Roman Raguine

JUSTICE DELAYED JUSTICE DELAYED

It was December 9, 1979 in MSU Marawi City, if my memory serves me right, I was going back to my lodging house after I paid a visit of my girlfriend (Now my wife). On my way out I met my senior officer in our ROTC unit Roman Raguine with his girlfriend going in. Roman just smiled at me when I saluted to him and jokingly called me sir looking at his girlfriend Lorna Lopez who happened to be a student of mine.

I told him I was on my way to my lodging house and he said that they would not stay long so we could go together. As I was tired from a long travel from my hometown I replied I will just go ahead. The night was dark with drizzle so I walk a little faster in order not to get wet. Upon reaching the corner of the Fifth Street, I met drunk soldiers and one asked for a light and answered in their dialect. I heard his companions saying not to do it because we are province-mates (kababayan). I did not know then what was it all about.

Upon reaching my lodging house, after fifteen minutes of some exchange of pleasantries, we heard burst of gunfire from an armalite. We even shouted, “more,” but there was no reply so we believed it was just a simple indiscriminate shooting. I got into my room, changed clothes and slept.

Early morning, I went jogging and I met some students telling me that someone is lying dead near the Aga Khan Museum. I ran and went to the specified area and found my friend, my senior officer, Roman dead on the ground with his hands as if he was begging for his life. I went to the cottage where his brother was staying and told them of the sad news but he was not there. I came back to scene of the crime and was told that there were thirteen bullet wounds found.

I was told that when Roman was on their way to the Girl’s Dormitory where Lorna was staying, they met the same group of soldiers that I met earlier that night drunk. The theory was, one of them had a love intension of Lorna and perhaps got mad when he saw Roman escorting her back to the dorm. So when Roman went back to this cottage they shoot him to death. What really happened I really did not know for Lorna did not tell the story.

I lost a senior officer and a friend that day. What happened next I cannot remember now but the memory of that day lives on because I composed a song dedicated for him, JUSTICE DELAYED JUSTICE DENIED. Because of that song, some of the soldiers involved were said to be looking for me, for what reason I really did not know.

The song goes this way:

(Refrain)

Justice delayed Oh that’s justice denied

You don’t know tomorrow you will die

Will you be happy to leave us behind

If you find that there’s no justice when you’ll die.

You’ll find my friend walking one night all alone

Feeling free from thinking he would die.

He just kissed his sweetheart and bid her goodnight

Without knowing that’s the last thing he had done.

He had left a sweetheart former student of mine

A pretty girl crying for he’s gone

Why are we so silent so deaf and so blind

It could happen to you and me anytime

And that's (Repeat Refrain)

For the military men!

Where are the guardians for peace and order

Except those who are good damn to them

They’re the one preserving our lives and properties

Yet what have they done to Roman.

For the lovers this time:

Hello, young lovers, don’t go out every night

If you can’t control dating have precautions.

Don’t let this thing happen for someday your will cry

You will find your girlfriend boyfriend cold and dead.

And that’s another (Repeat Refrain)

It was forty three years ago but until now the case is not yet solved for they said then that the killers were already killed too. After tthe incident the culprits were never apprehended I was told. They were only reassigned to different units and the bereaved family could not do anything for it was Marital Law days. My song may have grammatical errors then but the message is there, and as long as there are abuses done by the soldiers or anybody against the helpless and innocents that are not solve, the song is always relevant not only perhaps to me because Roman was a friend but to all of those that receive no justice.

Last December 11, 2010 I heard that two students were again abducted. The two that were abducted last December 7, 2010 are still the hands of their abductors. Whether they heeded my warning or not it is not the issue. the issue is justice delayed justice denied.