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SERYE BABAE: Hinagpis ng isang ina’t hamon sa kababaihang biktima ng dahas ng Estado

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Ni Nuel M. Bacarra

Naalala ko ngayong buwan ng kababaihan ang isang kanta ng aking ina noong siya’y nabubuhay pa. Ani ng kanyang awit: “Mahirap nga pala itong mahirap / Api-apihan sa pagliyag / Mayaman sa dusang masasaklap / at aliwan ng dusa’t bagabag.”

Bagamat tila sagot ito sa isang harana, larawan ito ng pagtitiis ng mga ina, na siyang sariling danas at katangian ng aking ina. Hindi dumadaing kahit nahihirapan at sagad sa buto ang pagtatrabaho para sa pamilyang itinataguyod ng nag-iisa. Single parent ang siyang tawag ngayon sa mga katulad niya.

Ngunit nais kong bigyang halaga ngayon ang mga ina at kababaihan. Hindi maitatatwa ninuman ang kanilang papel sa buhay ninuman. Karaniwang katawagan na kabiyak sila ng buhay, ilaw ng tahanan ng isang pamilya. Sila ang punlaan ng buhay na nagluluwal ng mga anak na siyang magtutuloy ng lahi.

May mga babaeng tipong Maria Clara. Meron din namang tulad ni Gabriela Silang. Meron ding naghuhubad na para lang kumita at meron ding nagpapayaman lamang gamit ang bulok na pulitikang namamayani sa bansa.

Sa kasalukuyan, hindi na solong gawain ng kababaihan ang magluto, maglaba, mag-alaga ng mga anak, mamalengke, maglinis ng bahay o magtrabaho sa mga upisina at paggawaan. Malayo na ang inabot ng pakikibaka ng kababaihan sa buong mundo pagdating sa paglaya nila sa tradisyunal na konsepto sa papel ng kababaihan sa buhay. Mayroon nang mga drayber ng bus, dyip, traysikel at habal-habal, mga welder, construction worker, piloto, sundalong sumasabak sa gera at samutsari pang gawain sa ibang bansa.

Isa na rito si Rodaliza Baltazar. Babae. Ina.

Isa siyang babaeng katuwang ng asawa na nagtataguyod sa pamilya sa pamamagitan ng pagiging overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sa Middle East. Ina siya na nagsasakripisyong mawalay sa mga anak para lamang matiyak ang magandang kinabukasan. Nais niyang maging marino o seaman ang pinaslang niyang anak na bunso. Magpapadala pa sana siya ng pera sa kanya bilang regalo kahit nakalipas na ang kaarawan niya noong paslangin ito.

Umuwi sa bansa si Rodaliza noong Agosto 11, 2023  dahil napatay at “napagkamalan lamang” si Jerhode, 17 taong gulang at mas kilala bilang si Jemboy. Inakala ng mga pulis na ang menor de edad ay suspek sa isang kaso ng  pagpatay. Gumuho ang pangarap ni Rodaliza para kay Jemboy at nagpasya itong huwag nang bumalik sa Qatar para tutukan ang paghahanap ng hustisya.

Nitong Pebrero 28, dalawang araw bago ang buwan ng kababaihan, tila pinatakan ng asin at kalamansi sa sugat sa puso ng pamilya. Nag-baba ng desisyon ang Regional Trial Court 286 ng Navotas ang kaso na hindi katanggap-tanggap sa pamilya.

“Lima silang makakalaya, isa lang ‘yung na-convict, tapos apat na taon lang. Pero ‘yung anak ko habambuhay siyang wala na,” hinagpis ni Rodaliza. Isa na namang kaso ito ng tila hindi pantay pagtimbang ng batas. Mula sa kasong murder, ginawa lamang itong homicide. Sentensyado si Staff Sgt. Gerry Maliban, PNP, at pinagbabayad ng tig-₱50,000.00 na bayad-pinsala kaugnay ng pananagutang sibil at moral. Ayon pa sa Huwes, “Walang dudang ginampanan lamang ni PSSgt. Maliban ang kanyang tungkulin sa pangyayari.”

“Hindi ba nila alam yung itsura nung hinuhuli nila? Tapos yung anak ko yung pinagbabaril nila, tapos pinabayaan nila sa ilog,” hinagpis ni Rodaliza.

Maraming katanungan ang namutawi sa labi ng mamamayan sa nangyari kay Jemboy. Bakit hindi muna nag-imbestiga ang mga pulis sa tinarget nila na nasa ilog? Bakit ninais na palabasin pa nila na may dalang baril at droga ang biktima, tulad ng testimonya ng kaibigan ni Jemboy na pinaglalabas siya ng salaysay para sabihing may dalang baril at droga noon ang pinaslang? Mga tanong ng pagdududa, ng paghahanap ng mga karagdagang impormasyon, ng patas na imbestigasyon, ng katiyakan bago kumitil ng buhay at, higit sa lahat, katarungan.

Maging ang estado ay hindi rin mapakali sa naging desisyon ng korte. May pabalat-bungang utos naman si Justice Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla kay Justice Asst. Sec. Jose Dominic Clavano na repasuhin ang kasong ito dahil mukhang may mali sa desisyon at kung gayon ay maaaring mag-apela.

Ayon naman kay Clavano, batay sa inisyal nilang pag-aaral, may mga kailangang argumento para kwestyunin ang desisyon tulad ng elemento ng pagsasabwatan, kapasyahang pumatay, at ng pagiging makatwiran ng aksyong ginawa ng mga pulis.

Ang lahat ng ito ay panibagong hiwa sa puso ng nagdadalamhating ina, maging ng buong pamilya. Hindi na kayang sukatin ng dami ng luha at tindi ng hinagpis, ni ng mga pampalubag-loob para lamang pagtakpan ang kawalang-katarungan.

Hindi nag-iisa si Rodaliza Baltazar sa ganitong sinapit—isang inang naulila ng anak na biktima ng dahas ng estado. Hindi biro ang mga binitiwan niyang salita na larawan ng dalamhati at pagpupuyos sa desisyon ng korte kaugnay sa kaso ng pagpatay kay Jemboy. Ani Rodaliza, “Nararamdaman ko ngayon at ng pamilya ko ang sakit dahil inaasahan namin na anim silang mahahatulang may sala subalit kabaligtaran ang nangyari.”

Isang araw matapos ang pagbababa ng hatol ng korte, dagdag ni Rodaliza sa isang press briefing sa Senado: “Tila pinatay nila nang paulit-ulit ang anak ko dahil sa desisyon ng korte sa anim na pulis. Napakasakit nito para sa aming pamilya. Napakahirap talagang makakuha ng katarungan kung ikaw ay mahirap.”

Ramdam ko sa aking kaibuturan ang sakit na nararamdaman ni Rodaliza. Nakikita ko sa kanya ang wangis ng sarili kong ina.

Marami pang pamilya, hindi lamang ang kababaihan, ang dumaranas ng iba’t ibang uri ng pisikal, emosyunal at mental na karamdaman dahil sa matitinding dagok sa buhay. Maaaring ito ay aksidente, bunga ng pagkakasakit, mga maling desisyon sa buhay, mga suliraning hindi hinaharap nang mabuti o anupaman.

Subalit kung ang trahedya ay bunga ng patakarang ipinapataw ng estado sa mamamayan, tulad halimbawa ng pambobomba sa mga komunidad sa kanayunan, ekstrahudisyal na pamamasalang, sapilitang pagkawala, at iba pang paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao, para lamang malubos ang sabwatan, lansakang pagyurak sa mga saligang karapatan at para lamang may masabing may ginagawa ang pulisya at militar, hindi ito kailanman magiging katanggap-tanggap. Marapat itong tutulan at labanan.

Ang pagpaslang sa kanilang bunso at ang tila kawalan ng hustisya para kay Jemboy ang nagbubukas sa pintuan para kay Rodaliza at kanyang pamilya para humanay sa mamamayang naggigiit ng katarungan, kapayapaan at pagbabago ng sistema ng ating lipunan. Hindi dapat pahintulutang mamayagpag ang pwersa ng estado sa paggawa ng krimen laban sa mamamayan, ang inhustisya at kawalang-pananagutan sa mga kaso ng paglabag sa mga saligang karapatan ng mamamayan. Laging may paraan at angkop na entabaldo para lumaban na kasama ang nakikibakang taumbayan.

Ang mga inang naghahangad ng magandang bukas sa mga anak ay hindi dapat manahimik. Bagkus ay kailangang maging dagdag na tinig para sa hustisya, kaunlaran at pagbabago ng lipunan. #

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Ang pitak na ito ay una sa serye ng awtor para ngayong Marso, buwan ng kababaihan.

First lady bus drivers in UAE who feel like ‘rock stars’ in Dubai

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Filipinas Ailen Francisco and Marygold Cez de Castro talk of their exemplary empowerment

By Angel L. Tesorero

Dubai: It has been almost two years since two Filipinas got behind the wheel to become the first lady bus drivers in the UAE. The novelty hasn’t worn off as they continue to elicit smiles from passengers, and more importantly, inspire women to excel.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) first deployed Ailen Pueto Leaño Francisco, 46, and Marygold Cez de Castro, 34, in the city’s internal bus network back in July 2020. A third one, a Kenyan expat named Gladys, also joined them.

Employing female drivers was actually something not new as the RTA at that time already had 165 female taxi drivers, 41 female limo chauffeurs, and one school bus driver.

Marygold Cez de Castro and Ailen Pueto Leaño Francisco say what men can do, they can do too. (Gulf News)

But seeing a woman behind the wheel of a long public transport vehicle – a bus that could carry between 30 to 50 passengers or more – which was exclusively driven by men, was not only trailblazing, it also sent a strong message of “empowering women and achieving gender balance across various jobs”.

Breaking the glass ceiling

“It was unprecedented,” Francisco and de Castro told Gulf News, adding: “We felt like we broke the glass ceiling and removed the prejudice against women.”

“This pioneering effort of employing female bus drivers is compatible with RTA’s principle of empowering women and achieving gender balance across various jobs… It creates job opportunities for women in a field dominated by men and promotes the culture of using public transport,” Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, earlier had said.

‘We can do too’

The size of the bus they are driving has also increased. Recently, Francisco and de Castro said they just finished their training on a double-decker bus.

Marygold Cez de Castro and Ailen Pueto Leaño Francisco were recently trained to drive double-decker buses. (Gulf News)

“Imagine someone like me who is barely five feet and weighing around 54kg driving a 40-feet-long, 15-feet-high and 6.5-feet-wide two-storey bus,” De Castro told Gulf News. “It only proves that what men can do, we women can do too.”

“Almost every day, we (de Castro and Francisco) encounter passengers smiling and giving us a thumbs-up sign. We made women proud and, as Filipino expats, we also made our kababayans (compatriots) proud,” added de Castro, who is also a mother of two girls – a teenager and a six-year old.

Tackling misconceptions

“During the first days and weeks I was on the road, motorists would always give me a thumbs up sign and my colleagues and fellow drivers at the RTA would always say ‘hi’ and wave at me,” said de Castro.

Francisco said, “I think commuters are used to seeing a woman behind the wheel of a standard bus now.”

Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, meanwhile, asserted women drivers are generally safe drivers and gender prejudice should be erased. He noted: “Female drivers often don’t receive the due appreciation of their driving behaviour. Gender prejudice still seems to play a role. However, an overall more careful attitude can be observed as female drivers have been less involved in road accidents than male drivers in the last seven years.”

Heart-warming reactions

On another bright note, up until now, passengers are still taking photos and selfies with de Castro and Francisco in their blue RTA uniforms – amazed and in awe of their profession.

Francisco said: “Just recently a 74-year old man approached me and introduced himself. He gave me two thumbs up and he said it was the first time he saw a lady bus driver.”

“There was also a heart-warming reaction from an Arab woman who crossed the street with her children. She proudly pointed me to her kids and they all waved at me,” shared Francisco, adding: “Another woman stopped her car near me and as she pulled down her window she extended her hand offering me a cash gift. I almost blushed and told myself: Wow! What a generous way showing her appreciation of hard-working women like me.”

Francisco, a widower and mother to two grown-ups, said she felt like a “rock star.” She added: “I’m already a middle-aged woman but there is always this spring in my step that makes me feel energetic and happy because of the positive reactions I receive from people.”

Maternal instincts

More than being trailblazers, both Francisco and de Castro said they are proud of their road safety records. “It must be because we are both mothers and those maternal and caring instincts are also reflected in the way we drive on the road. We think of our passengers as our children – we want them safe always,” they said.

Ailen Pueto Leaño Francisco with her family. (Gulf News)

At home, Francisco and de Castro steer their respective families with motherly care. They are also home makers who wake up early to prepare breakfast and would always check on their children – even while at work – if they had eaten or needed anything.

De Castro said she is proud that she is an inspiration to her two girls. “I’ve shown my kids how to be courageous and bold. I’ve failed in my first attempt to get the bus driver’s licence but I did not give up; I’ve undergone hours of rigorous training and proven myself as a pioneer in my chosen field,” she underlined.

“As a woman, don’t ever doubt yourself,” added Francisco. “Yes, it was really ‘weird and awkward’ at first working in a male-dominated world but eventually the bias will be gone, especially when we stay focused and determined.”

The duo added: “We also would like to thank Dubai and RTA for giving us the opportunity to work here in the UAE. We know that every day we are on the road, we do not only carry passengers, but we are also out there to prove that women are strong partners in steering the community and driving the nation.” #

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This article was originally written for and was published by Gulf News, the UAE’s largest English language newspaper where the author is a senior reporter.