CASTS:

Bully- JJ

Dad- Pao

Mom- Alelie

Lawyer- Tin

Secretary: Ate Cat

*Secretary is on the table. Bully family knocks on the door.*

Secretary: Please come in.

*family comes in*

Secretary: Good morning. Please take a seat.

*family sits*

Sec: How may I help you?

Dad: Hi, Ma’am. I am Mr. Montes and I am with my wife and my son, Joaquin. We are looking
for Atty. Jimenez. Is she here today?

Sec: Yes, Sir. What’s your concern all about?

Mom: We are here to seek her advice regarding the case involving our son, Joaquin, who got
involved in a brawl in his school.

Sec: Okay, po. Kindly fill out this form first and let me call her for you.

*Lawyer comes out and shakes hands with the clients*

Lawyer: Good morning. I am Atty. Jimenez. How may I help you?

Dad: Good morning, Atty. I am Mr. Montes. This is my wife. This is my son Joaquin. We are
here to seek your legal advice. Our son here got involved in a brawl in school and a video of the
incident went viral online. We would like to know if there are legal means to save the dignity of
our family and to protect our child as well.

Mom: We would also like to know if our son has liabilities regarding the said incident and that if
there is any, do we have legal defenses to contradict such. We would like to know if we can
make the people who shared the videos and posted ill- comments about my son liable. Our
photos on our FB account were also shared which is an intrusion into our privacy.

Atty: Okay po. But before we can proceed, teka lang po. Ms. Cat, may please bring in some
refreshments for our guests? Thank you.

Secretary: Okay po Atty.

Lawyer: Before I could help you on this matter, I would like to see the video you are pertaining
to. Afterwards, I will be asking Joaquin to share his side of the story.

Dad: Okay, Atty. Here is the video.

*Lawyer watches video*

*Cat comes in na may dalang inumin. Maganda sana lagyan ng lason e para madala chos!*

*Cat sits and grabs laptop for note taking*

Atty: I see.

*atty. Talks to Joaquin the effin bully*

Atty: Hi, Joaquin. How are you?

Joaquin: I’m perfectly fine, Atty.

Atty: That’s good to know. Would you mind if you share the story behind this video?

Joaquin: The boy that I assaulted in the video is my classmate. I assaulted him because prior to
that incident, he asked me if I would like to have a match with him and being the man that I am, I
said yes. After the subject, we went to the CR to have the match that he wanted. I did not bully
him. I was just defending myself. If it were not for his provocation, I would not have consented
to it.

Atty: So are you saying he started it?

*polite manner si Atty. Di dapat halata na g na g na sya chos*

Joaquin: Yes, Atty. He wanted that match even after we had resolved our issue in the classroom.

Atty: What issue are you referring to?

Joaquin: He intentionally bumped into me and I was hurt. I got mad but he apologized
afterwards. We have resolved our conflict and yet he wanted to get into a fight with me as seen
in the video.
Mom: They should have understood that my son is just a kid! He’s just 14. He never intended to
do that. He was also a victim.

Atty: After the incident, what happened?

Joaquin: He was brought to the clinic.

Atty: Were you brought to the clinic, too?

Joaquin: No.

Atty: Were you injured?

Joaquin: Yes. I got hurt as well but I declined being brought to the clinic.

Atty: Based on the video, the kid was really hurt. Was he able to hurt you?

Joaquin: Opo. It was a self- defense, Atty. Before that incident happened, he bumped into me and
I was terribly hurt. I can barely move after.

Atty: Why did you not go to the clinic?

Joaquin: Simply because I did not want to.

Atty: Why were you asking him kung “Bugbog o Dignidad”? What was that for?

Joaquin: *irritated* E kasi nga Atty., binangga nya ako bago mag class. E di bumawi ako. Ako
nga tong nabully e kasi ang dami kong nababasang comments against me online.

Atty: Is that all? Okay, Joaquin, *Holds Joaquin kahit g na g na sya talaga*. Remember, you are
here to seek for my help. I will help you. Treat me as your friend. Tell me everything. I cannot
help you if I won’t be able to know every detail that transpired.

Joaquin: That’s all, Atty. I am the victim here. I never bullied that kid.

Mom: Atty., we just to know if my son can be criminally liable for the incident and what
remedies are left to us to exhaust.

Atty: Since the details of Joaquin’s story isn’t clear, I am afraid I will not be able to give you a
clear advice regarding this matter. I encourage you, Joaquin to tell me more details regarding
this. I told you, I am your friend. I will be willing to help you.

Joaquin: Okay, Atty. I was not hurt during the incident. The kid never hit me. I admit that I have
terribly hurt him. I punched him too much and asked him kung “Bugbog o Dignidad”. Wala
lang, trip ko lang kasi nga hinamon niya ako.

Atty: Okay. See? Since your story is clearer, then, it would now be possible for me to help you.
Mom: So, what now Atty.?

Dad: Calm down, Darling.

Atty:

For the pictures, the people who posted your photos online cannot be held liable for violating
your privacy. These pictures cannot be said to be illegally shared because once a photo is posted
on your social media accounts, then that is considered as if it is for the consumption of the
public, hence, we cannot make them liable.

For the people who had posted ill- comments about your son,

Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (“Cybercrime Law”), which, among others, made online
libel unlawful. It states that “the unlawful or prohibited acts of libel as defined in Article 355 of
the Revised Penal Code [RPC], as amended, committed through a computer system or any other
similar means which may be devised in the future,” constitute the offense of cybercrime.

Thus, a netizen who posts something, be it in words or pictures, which is intended to harm the
reputation of another by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of
others may be found guilty of online libel. Only the original author of the libelous post is
punished under the Cybercrime Law. Those who liked, shared, or retweeted a post, or those who
merely made a favorable comment thereon, the person who posted a link to the blog site where
the same was posted, or others who simply received the post and reacted to it are not liable for
online libel.

For Joaquin, he cannot be held criminally liable. The age of criminal liability is 15 and above.
Since he’s just 14, he can only be liable for civil liabilities.

But as for you parents, you will be responsible for the act of Joaquin and the school as well. The
Civil Code provides:

The school, its administrators and teachers, or the individual, entity or institution engaged in
child are shall have special parental authority and responsibility over the minor child while under
their supervision, instruction or custody.

Authority and responsibility shall apply to all authorized activities whether inside or outside the
premises of the school, entity or institution.

Those given the authority and responsibility shall be principally and solidarily liable for damages
caused by the acts or omissions of the unemancipated minor. The parents, judicial guardians or
the persons exercising substitute parental authority over said minor shall be subsidiarily liable.

The respective liabilities of those referred to in the preceding paragraph shall not apply if it is
proved that they exercised the proper diligence required under the particular circumstances.
All other cases not covered by this and the preceding articles shall be governed by the provisions
of the Civil Code on quasi-delicts.

Mom: Bakit damay kami?

Atty: Mrs. Montes,that is what the law says. As I have said, I would not recommend you to file
suit against anyone since it has been obvious that your son was at fault. I would recommend you
to talk to the parents of the victim and settle all the expenses that they have incurred for the cure
of the victim. It is best for you and for your family to have this matter amicably settled. It will
save you pesos and your time which I know is very important to you.

Do you have any other concerns?

Dad: Wala na po. Thank you, Atty.

Atty: Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Montes. Thank you, Joaquin. God bless you.

*shake hands para matapos na tong kalokohan na to*

Cat: Thank you po. I’ll lead you outside.

*Iligaw na yan!*