You know, having a mother -and a handful of relatives- who works for the Judicial Branch of the government and a grandfather for a Chief Justice certainly has its ups and downs.

If you're wondering how the Chief became my grandfather, it's because his wife and mom's mother are sisters (Okay, so I'm supposed to call him great-uncle, but he prefers I call him Lolo).

Lolo Jun, as I fondly call the Chief, is truly an inspiration for the Filipinos. His quiet demeanor and simple ways prove that for every few bad men, there is always one who is wholly and truly good.

I remember crying over the phone and congratulating him when he was sworn in as the new Chief Justice. My classmates were equally as jubiliant and we celebrated by going to Argao, his home province, and watching him ride a carabao, just as he used to in his boyhood days. In Cebu, Lolo has become an icon and everyone admires him. Students look up to him and his family respects him.

Yes, I'm happy for Lolo (Filipino term for grandfather) that he has assumed the position I know he deserves. I have been a witness to the dedication he has in bringing about swift justice and the integrity in him that remains intact, even after all those years of being surrounded by cheats and arrogant legislators.

Lolo has always wanted justice to prevail, even during his days as a lawyer and Assemblyman at the Batasang Pambansa (mom worked for him as a secretary there). That's why his favorite Latin maxim is "Fiat Justicia ruat Coelum" (Let Justice be done, though the Heavens may fall). I see that maxim as soon as I enter his office and it serves as a reminder to all of his staff that he is a honest man in the midst of a corrupt government and that they should never let go of their integrity.

Asking him if there was something else (meaning will he run for office) after his stint as Chief Justice, he shook his head and answered, "Maimai (he calls me that), I'll be going back to Argao to plant kamote. And you, my dear, will become a lawyer." Yikes! I certainly can't imagine myself as one! =P

I enjoy being in the OCJ (Office of the Chief Justice) mainly because, well...my mom's there, and Lolo's there! He still lives in the same bungalow in BF Homes, Q.C and nothing has changed. It's still as simple as it was way back when mom chose the house for him to buy. Yes, my mom lived there because she was his niece and he payed for her college tuition.

He has gardens that he tends to (he always insists on doing it himself), both in BF and in his ancestral home in Lahug, Cebu City. The only thing that constantly comes and goes in his houses are the grandchildren, who come around for vacation and leave as soon as classes resume. Hel-lo! Of course I'm one of them! We love hanging around there because he treats us out everyday and we go home with plenty of money...hehehehe =P

As there are the perks of being one of Hilario Davide, Jr.'s grandchildren, there are also the downsides. Aside from the fact that we are related, my oh-so-loving mother works for him, and as a result, she knows the latest dirt going on in the government. That automatically means: LEAKAGE! When she comes home, my brother and I still have to draw straws (this is not a gross exaggeration) as to who will ask her one simple question : "Mom, how was your day?"

I'm serious! If others ask their mothers that question, I'm sure they'll just say, "Shit day at work, honey. As usual." or "It was great." But mom, oh noooo...Mom always gives a blow-by-blow detail of what happened to her during the day and what's happening around her. If you ask me, it's a curse. By some stroke of luck (spoken sarcastically), I wind up being the one to ask her and sit down to listen to everything she yaks about.

Once I enter the classroom the next day, I am squarely hit by a barrage of questions and squashed at the door by my classmates, who are always eager to know the latest scoop about what's happening in our deranged government. Even our neighbors clamor around me, a gaunt, closet computer geek to ask me anything I was able to dig up *eyes cross and looking ready to faint*...

It's a price we all have to pay. Even my dad knows a lot about these politicians, though he doesn't work for the government. Gawd! I'm stuck with them for the rest of my life....>_<