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a story of experiencing injustice
All of us experience or has gone through injustice in our lives. Everyone of us experience different forms
of it everyday. We experience it in jeepneys, on taxies, in the mall, in our very own homes, from Police authorities who abuse their ranks who forget that they are getting their pay from our taxes and so on... Though we don''t want to admit it, it is sad that each and everyone of us have this kind of "attitude". Educated or not, I believe we do it to others too...
I have recently experienced this one incident last July 16, 2007 from International Bank Ayala, Makati City as I was getting my final pay cheque from them from my former company... After patiently waiting for an hour for my number to be called and finished signing the acknowledgment document for the amount to be received, I was asked by the lady bank personnel if I wanted to encash it. She said, I can directly go to the counter and have it done. So I went to the counter and placed the cheque on the counter and this time, I had to wait for my name to be called. After a few minutes, I was called and asked to present an Identification card. I presented around 8-9 ID''s because I know they''ll be asking for my SSS ID or TIN ID. 2-3 of those ID''s I presented had my picture but according to the Bank Teller, they weren''t valid. He asked for my SSS ID but I told him I don''t have it yet. He then asked if I have an account with them and told him I don''t and I am only encashing my cheque but I do have my clearbook with me which contains all my documents but he instead dialled a number from his phone and a man in his 40''s came out of the glass offices and called my attention to go with him in his office. The glass was transparent so everyone outside sitting in the bank could see what was going on inside. I was not nervous at that time but I was kind of embarrased because "Francis" (written on his name plate) the Bank Teller and the Bank Manager made a scene and I know people waiting for their names to be called where looking at me and wondering why I was brought to the office? The man introduced himself and said he was the Bank Manager and his name was "Kiko". He then showed me my ID''s on top of his table and as I was looking at his face, he was somewhat embarrasing me from myself and was kind of happy to "harrass" me in that manner because he had a smile on his lips while asking me different questions that I decided to show my clearbook after collating my ID''s. I said I have copies of my Birth Certificate, Baptismal Certificate, Confirmation Certificate, an old Voter''s Affidavit, Clearances from my former companies, my SSS papers, my Marriage Contract, Baranggay Clearance and Police Clearance and even copies of my husband''s and daughter''s Birth Certificates just to show that the name on the cheque and myself is the same person. He said, "Oh! You are ready! You brought your documents with you. Can I go through the documents you have here?" I said willingly, "Go ahead. No problem". While going through the pages, he asked me why my last name on my Birth Cerificate was GONZALES and I said, " Of course because It was my last name when I was still young then and single and now using BERMACHEA as I am already married". He went through each of the pages and said those certificates could have been gotten from Recto, Manila and can easily be forged. I was shocked when he gave me that statement but I still kept quiet and had my composure because I didn''t want to make another scene and I didn''t want to go down to the level of his and his Bank Teller''s thinking until he came to the page where my old Voter''s Affidavit was showing. He covered the said page and closed it while handing it back to me and asked, "If you are really from Mandaluyong City, who did you voted for last May 14''s election? And please, don''t give me a wrong answer or else"... While he was asking me that, I was already holdinry. I didn''t voted in Mandaluyong this year, I voted in Cabuyao, Laguna because I already reside there". When he heard my answer, he moved his head disagreeably saying, "See! You are not telling the truth already!" I answered, "Why don''t you believe me? I already showed you my documents and my ID''s but you don''t want to acknowledge them as mine and valid. What else would you want me to do? I just finished signing the document for the waiver of this amount from my former company because that was my last salary with them". Then he said, "Okay, as you were saying that this was your last salary, where is your ID from them?" I told him, "I already surrendered it when I submitted my resignation paper. Don''t you understand that?" His face still had a smile so before he could say anything as I was about to cry because I know he was happy with what he was doing, I showed him my Baranggay Clearance and my Police Clearance and I told him, " You could go ahead and check me in our Baranggay and the officials there know me". And he finally said, " You are about to cry now?" So I said while keeping my tears from anger and embarrasment, " No. I''ll just relay this to my former company and tell them that you don''t want to encash my cheque". Then he said, " No need to do that. I was about to give you your cheque. You could go ahead and have it encashed now. But are you sure, no one would come after me and I still have to go looking for you in Cabuyao, huh?" I told him, "No one, sir, because the cheque is under my name ". I went out of his office as eyes were on me and handed back my cheque to the same Bank Teller and says, "Is this okay now, Ma''am? We are just doing our Standard Operating Proceures because you don''t have any valid ID. I hope you understand" (whiile waving the cheque to his manager watching from the glass office)". And once again, the Manager went out his office to where we were and grabbed the cheque to show that he already signed it for approval and encashment with both of them still smilling. I didn''t hear any apologies from their end. And as I silently left the bank, I asked myself, "Is that justice to their so called SOP for not having presented a valid ID? Do they do this everyday to a certain customer who only wears simple clothes like me during that day, who come to their branch who wanted to encash a cheque or to people they think they can just harrass because they liked doing it? Where''s the logic and the "educated" part in there?"
I hope this topic would also make us think if we also do such things to others and make us think what is the feeling and if it''s really just okay among us.....
Posted also at http://www.RbLoGSiTe.blogspot.com
Published: September 05, 2007