EVEN THE DEAD MAY BELIE A LIE

Noong purmero -- I mean early Saturday evening when it first came in the news that DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo's plane crashed off Masbate -- ang sabi sa TV ay nakaligtas daw ang aide-de-camp ni Robredo, si PNP Abrazado na kababayan niya sa Naga,  nang sa pagbulusok ng eroplano sa dagat ay natanggal diumano, sinadya niya o hindi ay di maliwanag, ang kanyang seat belt at siya ay tumilapon sa tubig, kung saan siya nasagip ng ilang fishermen.  Nasabi ko noon sa sarili na talagang pag oras mo na ay oras mo na, at pag hindi pa ay hndi pa.  I am sure that that initial story had come from none else but Abrazado; medyo mahirap naman sigurong paniwalaan na iyon ay kathang-isip lamang ng kung sino mang reporter.

This morning, I read from the Inquirer Abrazado's own written statement, telling the real story in more detail.  Among the relevant parts of his story are: (1) He momentarily lost consciousness after the plane crashed into the waters.  (2) As he regained consciousness, he looked around but could not see Robledo. (3) He remembered that he and Robledo were seated beside each other before the crash (obviously at the passengers' seat, which most probably was near the door). (4) He tried to unfasten his seat belt but he failed. (5) When he finally unfastened it, he squeezed himself out of the plane.

Then, at 7:45 AM of Tuesday, the divers finally found the plane's fuselage.  They said that 3 bodies were inside, one near the door (very probanly Robledo) and two inside the cockpit (most certainly none else but the pilot and the co-pilot.  As of now, Wednesday afternoon, only Robredo's body had been retrieved, the two others are still there.  But that is another story.

According to Abrazado in his written statement, when he woke up from a temporary loss of consciousness after the plane had crashed, he looked around and did not see Robledo at his side.
How can that be?  Abrazado had himself related that he was wearing his seat belt when he gained consciousness, and found a hard time unfastening it.  It is unthinkable that Robredo had been able to unfasten his own seat belt while Abrazado was unconscious.  As a matter of fact, the divers found Robredo still on his seat, obviously locked in his seat belt.

It seems to me Abrazado has not been telling the whole truth in this particular regard?  As to why, I really do not know.  Maybe, just maybe, he was trying to put across the impression that even if he had wished to at least try to save Robredo, being his aide de camp, he was unable to  because his boss was nowhere to be seen before he managed to squeeze himself out of the plane.  Maybe, again just maybe, deep within him he was afraid or a bit bothered that Robredo's family might feel somewhat frustrated that as their father's aide de camp, he did not do anything to save him.  Pero, hindi ba't sinabi naman, as flashed in TB, ng mga anak ni Robredo that they had no ill feeling against Abrazado for what happened.   After all, I think they fully understand that in matter-of-life-and-death situations like that, one's first and foremost priority is self-preservation. Hindi ba, even Jesus did not blame St. Peter when the latter denied knowing Him three times before the Jews?

Ala eh, just to make a long story short, minsan pang napatunayan ang kasabihang even the dead may belie a lie and unearth the real truth.