Hannah’s choice to be “Ka Maya”

Hannah Jay Cesista, a good friend, passed the Bar exam in April of the previous year. She was a batchmate of my wife at the University of San Carlos College of Law and was among the graduates who earned their Juris Doctor degree in 2022.

In the following month, during the oathtaking ceremony and the signing of the Roll of Attorneys at the PICC in Pasay City, before the Supreme Court en banc, I accompanied my wife, who was set to take her oath. Out of the 3,992 Bar passers expected to take their oath that day, Hannah was notably absent.

I only learned about her decision not to take the oath after the news of her death on February 23, 2024. The military claims her death occurred during an alleged encounter between the combined PNP-AFP task force and CPP-NPA rebels in Bilar, Bohol. The National Union of People’s Lawyers called for an investigation into the alleged encounter, pointing to witness’ accounts describing the event as a cold-blooded execution. We leave the determination of the truth to the investigators, hoping for a neutral and thorough investigation.

Regarding Hannah's notable absence from her oathtaking ceremony in May 2023, I confirmed through mutual friends close to her that she indeed chose not to take the oath. Consequently, she never became a lawyer. This is because the oathtaking and the signing of the Roll of Attorneys are essential steps that officially confer Bar passers membership in the Bar, authorizing them to practice law.

Hannah conscientiously chose not to take her oath, knowing she would violate it by pursuing an armed revolutionary path. The Communist Party has confirmed in a statement that Hannah Jay, also known as “Ka Maya”, was a comrade. Rightists elements would want us to believe that Hannah, like many young individuals, was lured into joining the CPP-NPA through alleged “lies and manipulation”. However, given Hannah’s intellectual weight --a Bachelor of Political Science degree from the University of the Philippines Cebu, a Juris Doctor degree from USC, and a Bar passer-- it's hard to argue that she fits the profile of someone easily manipulated.

A friend of Hannah shared with me their attempts to persuade her to take the lawyer's oath, emphasizing how valuable her license could be in defending the poor and oppressed in court. However, Hannah had already decided against it. Believing she did not need the license or the oath, she was firmly committed to pursuing the revolutionary path.

Taking her lawyer’s oath would have required her to declare fealty to the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, a commitment she could not make in good conscience --in stark contrast to many politicians who, despite swearing to uphold the law, casually engage in stealing, cheating, and violating those very laws. Hannah, I think, was also mindful enough not to jeopardize the safety of lawyers representing alleged enemies of the state, who might become targets in a situation where lines are blurred.

However mind-boggling Hannah’s decision may seem to us “mere mortals,” it deserves our utmost respect. Humanity's complexity and the complex nature of societal conflicts mean that understanding such choices is not that simple due to the layered realities they are based in.

I do hope this sparks a discussion about our national situation and motivates us to strive for a just and lasting peace. It's important to encourage conflicting parties to return to the negotiating table, instead of paying attention to rightist elements and pro-military trolls who are quick to exploit Hannah’s death as a propaganda tool.

"However mind-boggling Hannah’s decision may seem to us “mere mortals,” it deserves our utmost respect. "