Other side of the Causing case-8

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By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

 

In her assaults against her four children, Olivia’s word was law. She did not pass through the courts and made claims people took for granted, even the police, supposedly agents of the law swallowed her word as honest truth and just obeyed her, granting no other considerations or pressure. That power must have intoxicated her. But in life, as Hamlet lamented, “Aye, there’s the rub!”

I have the feeling that Olivia and her lawyers and courtesans know the weakness of Olivia’s claim to full ownership of the Yanson family wealth. But she either got bad legal and court jesters’ advice or she was so furious that she discarded the proper way of securing her claim. Her resort to extra-judicial methods reveals the flaw of her assumptions.

If she were certain she could win in court, why did she choose the totalitarian methods, the Nazi terror tactics that would make Hitler happy he has disciples still around using his tactics? Hitler’s early methods were subtle and initially effective but not so effective enough that eventually the Nazi raided the house and arrested the Jews and sent seven million of them to concentration and death camps.

As I said earlier, the comparison with the Nazi tactics is not on the gravity and comprehensiveness of the method. Olivia did attempt to use the legal process but when confronted with a demand to show a court order, she backed off. Wounded pride perhaps and undaunted she shifted to terror tactics. That exposed a character with a tendency to run over whoever crosses her path – a deadly error.

So here’s the “rub” – she knows the truth of her claim even as she was made to believe by her lawyers and courtesans that she can win. Indeed, without that legal assurance, she would not have done what she did. I think it was with this in mind that Lopez, Pugoy and Carbon enforced the will of Olivia believing that with the use of intimidation the Causings would not fight like the others in the other apartments who succumbed to coercion. But they misjudged the Causing family.

So, as was already said, the claim of ownership of the apartment was the main justification for forcing the Causings out. Whether the Los Trios had studied the ownership claim or not, is immaterial. Their actions showed they did not take a serious look and consider the flaws of the title.

There are many facts that have emerged from the cases that were filed with the ownership claim of Olivia as the basis. Some had been dismissed and some still in the court. The Los Trios did not reflect on the defects of Olivia’s claim. They just followed orders and that is their misfortune. As the street smart would say, “Good for you.” The Hiligaynon version is more colourful – “merisi sa inyo”. I will not explain how the distorted Latin came into our language. It’s more dreadful.

Several cases had been filed against the Yanson 4 – Roy, Celina, Emily and Ricky – ostensibly for acting on matters involving the conjugal properties of Ricardo and Olivia Yanson. I will not dissect the claims of sole ownership by Olivia after the death of her husband, but cite the decisions of the prosecutors dismissing the cases filed against the four: Olivia is not the sole owner and the children have rights of ownership based on the extra-judicial agreement among the heirs of Ricardo Yanson, Sr.

That being the case, Olivia is not the sole owner of the apartment; Emily is part owner, not just the manager or stewardess of the property as Olivia’s enforcers want us to believe. That Emily had been in complete control of the apartments and entering into lease contracts for over 20 years without question from anybody in the family, including Olivia and even while the father was alive, give more credence and weight than any other adverse claim.

The prosecutors who had decided on cases filed against the Yanson 4, on alleged orders of Olivia had cited the existence and continued validity of the extra-judicial settlement of the estate among the heirs of Ricardo Yanson. Olivia is one of the heirs but in this agreement, she waived her rights to the properties of the estate.

Continued tomorrow.