It is ironic that while reports about corruption in government dominate the media, honest, humble, and hardworking public servants make it to the news only when tragedy strikes.
This was what happened to Judge Carmela Rosario Pasquin of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Pinamungajan-Aloguinsan, who died after the motorcycle she was riding was hit by another motorcycle on the highway in Pinamungajan last Oct. 22, 2025. Reports said she was backriding on the motorcycle driven by court processor Eric Gelizon Lanzarate, on their way to work.
The other motorcycle was reportedly driven by Mark James Cabiling, 19, who had no driver’s license. He now faces charges of reckless driving resulting in homicide.
Judge Pasquin was known for her simplicity and dedication to her work. She could have afforded a car, but she preferred to travel by modest means.
It is revealing that her simplicity became newsworthy only because modesty and honesty, once expected of those in public office, now stand out as exceptions.
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That same sense of injustice is echoed in another story, this time on a much larger scale.
In December 2021, Typhoon Odette battered Cebu and other parts of the Visayas, leaving behind not just a swath of destruction but also a sense of injustice.
Now, a group of survivors is seeking to turn that pain into accountability. A legal action intending to take Shell fuel company to court over its role in causing Typhoon Odette in the Philippines has been made. A Letter Before Action (LBA) has been delivered to Shell’s headquarters in London, saying that the legal proceedings will be on behalf of 67 Filipino citizens who lost family members, were seriously injured, or lost their homes in the typhoon.
They are seeking financial compensation under the “polluter pays” principle and injunctive relief to prevent further violations of their right to a healthy environment, according to The Odette Case website (www.odettecase.com).
The Odette Case is a campaign coordinated and supported by Greenpeace Philippines, the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Centre, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, and Uplift.
The sending of the LBA is the first step in the litigation process in England. If Shell cannot respond satisfactorily, the next stage is to formally issue proceedings in court which would then take place in December 2025, the website report said.
Will this lawsuit against multinational corporations really change anything? Perhaps not right away. But disaster response has largely been based on sympathy. Typhoon victims are seen and heard, helped briefly, and then left to rebuild on their own.
This case seeks something more, something deeper than sympathy. It calls for recognition of harm and the responsibility to prevent it.
It is a reminder that justice, whether for one humble judge or for thousands of typhoon victims, begins when people refuse to accept that loss and injustice are just part of life.