Busted.

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This incident happened just before Christmas break last year. I have half-forgotten about it but it crept back to memory while I was driving this morning. There is a moral to the story so I consider it worth writing about. I am bracing myself for a looooong blog for this.

The office Christmas party was just about winding up when I received a phone call. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning. It was from Jim, an up-and-coming professional singer and recording artist once introduced to me by my friend and client, Lui (a TV executive). Our short conversation was to this effect:

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Hi, attorney. This is Jim. Remember me? Are you busy? Are you still awake?

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Yes, Jim. No. The office Christmas party is just about done.

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I need help. Can you meet me now?

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Is this something urgent? It is nearly morning. Where are you?

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I am in my car in Quezon City. I need your help.

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What kind of help?

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I am with the police right now.

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My heart skipped a bit. I smelled trouble that I was not sure I wanted to get involved in. Especially when I was just in the mood to go on Christmas break.

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What is this about? I insisted.

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Basta. I'll tell you when you get here.

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I need to know what it is. If you are with the police I need to think of my strategy while I drive to you.

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It's nothing serious. But quite embarassing. It is not drugs or murder. I'll tell you when you get here.

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Okay. Where exactly are you? What is your car model and plate number?

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When he told me where he was I heaved a sigh of relief. I had quite an idea of the nature of his legal problem.

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I got to Jim in about twenty minutes. Quezon Circle, that notorious place, isn't really that far from our office when you drive at one a.m. I easily located his car parked under the pedestrian overpass along Philcoa. There was no police car around him. His car was just waiting, hazard lights on. A public utility jeepney was in front of the car and waiting for passengers. I parked my car behind Jim's and stepped out.

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Jim did not get out of his car to meet me. He just waited and then pulled down the window when I knocked on his side. He introduced me to the young police officer seated on the rear passenger car. I invited the police to step out and tell me the kind of problem Jim got himself into.

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Sir, we caught your client with a male hooker in his car. They were lining up to check in a motel.

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I was defensive. He wasn't with a male hooker. My client says he met the guy in a bar. No money has exchanged hands or contemplated to be exchanged between them.

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The police officer smiled. Sir, we are just doing our job. Your client was patronizing a prostitute. It is against the law. The hooker is known around here. He has criminal records.

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I was furious. What is against the law? There is no such crime as patronizing a prostitute. The law ---oddly--- penalizes prostitution and white slavery but not punish the patronizing of such services. But I knew that this officer and his companions were not interested in implementing the law. Neither was I interested in arguing legalese with him. My interest was getting home as early as possible and making sure that Jim did not spend a night in detention. It was one a.m., where could I possibly get a judge who could order Jim's release? There is also no court during the weekends. If I don't play my cards right, Jim would spend two nights in jail for this stupidity.

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Is there a way for you to just let my client go? It is Christmas time. You have no reason to detain him.

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Sir, what do you mean by letting your client go?

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Just release him and we can all forget about this thing. I promise my client will never pass by this area again.

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I cannot just let him go, sir. Mag-aabono ako. Our station chief already knows that we caught your client. He is already expecting...

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Expecting his share of the bribe money. I finished his sentence in my mind.

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If you want, attorney, we can go to our station. We will book him and you can talk to our chief about his release.

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It was a definite no-no. Having Jim booked will put the wheel of justice in motion. It would be less likely that he would be released the same night if there was already a booking sheet. Besides, there might be some press who could identify Jim. Or there might be anyone who could recognize Jim from his TV appearances. Going to the police station was not in Jim's best interest.

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Sir, it is nearly two o'clock. Balato mo na sa akin ito. I might be able to help you in the future. You know, I also work with the police, NBI agents and PDEA assets.

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Attorney, where is your line of work? Do you also practice in Quezon City?

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Yes, in fact I was the lawyer of Congressman X when s/he campaigned the last time. It was only half true. My candidate lost during the last election and the one I knew wasn't a client but a friend.

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I asked for the officer's full name and cellphone number.I did not intend to contact him or to be cordial to him after this. It was just a gesture of good faith. I did not even leave him my calling card. I just told him to contact me through my cellphone as I already had his full name.

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Sir, you will not use my name to lodge a complaint against me?

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No. You have my word. You can ask around and all the officers know that I am very kind to police officers.

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Okay, sir. But can you talk to my chief first so that he will know what happened here? He might ask me for money later.

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He gave me the police station's number, I talked to the station chief and thanked him for being considerate and understanding. Case closed. Problem solved.

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Afterwards, I approached Jim to tell him to thank the officer. When our business was done, a Toyota Revo with police stickers parked in front of Jim's car. The police officer approached the Revo's driver and then he walked back to me.

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Sir, we have the prostitute in the mobile. Does you client still want to go with him?

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I smiled at this suggestion. No, he has already lost his appetite. You can let him go or detain him, we don't care. My client is going home now and will never pass this side of town again.

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Jim and I went to a cafe so that we could chat awhile. He wanted to thank me for the favor and the trouble. I was just too tired to care about him anymore.

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Do you know what happened here? I asked Jim. He either seemed to have absolutely no idea or was simply embarassed to admit anything.

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Did the guy you were with have a cellphone. Was he texting while he was in your car and you were waiting for a room to be available in the motel?

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Yes. Yes.

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The guy was in connivance with the police. He informed the police of your car and your location via text. You were a victim of a modus operandi.

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Is Lui your manager now?

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Yes.

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My advice was both legal and fraternal. Lui is my client. If he asks me about this I have to tell him. He is my client, not you. This is not good for your career. If the police officer knew you, you would have been the headline in tomorrow's tabloid. You had to learn your lesson the hard way. If you do this again, I threatened him, I will have to tell Lui.

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We finished our coffee quickly. We were both tired and sleepy and were only too eager to part ways. On the new year, I received a big bottle of Polo Double Black perfume from Jim. Lui must have told him that I was craving for that scent. It was a new favorite. The incident was never mentioned again between Jim and me.

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