In the dark of the night, a policeman stands at a shadowy corner with only the moonlight illuminating his every move. He hears a the cry for help of a hostage held at knifepoint. Poised like a cougar ready to pounce, the cop observes quietly. The hostage wails again, and the cop discerns the menacing glare and agitated demeanor of the hostage-taker. The cop decides. He aims carefully and with only a few seconds to spare before the dagger sinks in the victim’s skin, he nails down the criminal. The victim has been saved. The cop heaves a sigh of relief.

Typical of action and mystery films, this pulse-pounding scenario is certainly not unfamiliar to Presiding Judge Jaime B. Santiago of the Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC), Branch 12, Manila, as he had experienced it so many times. A former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Western Police District (WPD) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and police senior inspector, Judge Santiago’s life as a sharpshooter cop, including having taking down five hostage-takers in less than a year, was even immortalized on film by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. in SP04 Santiago: Sharpshooter. Judge Santiago, however, counters that his life now as a judge is more exciting than before.

Judge Santiago admits his career in the police force prompted him to take up law. His job requires him to testify before the courts as a crime witness. Armed with determination, he commuted everyday from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, Laguna – where he was a cadet firearm instructor –  to Manuel L. Quezon University in Quiapo, Manila where he was taking up law. Judge Santiago passed the Bar examinations in 1994 while he was still in the police force. He optionally retired in 2000 and began his private practice the following year.

However, Judge Santiago discerned he was always meant to serve the public. As such, he strove to rejoin government service and was eventually appointed as Assistant City Prosecutor in the Department of Justice in October 2003. A natural in his chosen field, Judge Santiago was subsequently appointed Presiding Judge of the Manila MeTC, Branch 12 in December 19, 2006.

Only a year in the Judiciary, Judge Santiago is already active in his advocacy  that judges should know how to adequately protect themselves.

“When judges are knowledgeable at protecting themselves or if they know how to use a handgun, criminals would hesitate [to assault them].[When] judges, who [criminals] perceive to be harmless because of the pen they write with and the gavel they hold… fight back, their assassinations will definitely lessen,” Judge Santiago explained.

A speaker on firearms orientation, marksmanship, and technical proficiency training at the Personality Security Training for Judges held at the Philippine Judicial Academy Development Center in Tagaytay City last December 5 to 7, 2007, Judge Santiago said judges do not necessarily need to carry guns.

“First and foremost, judges should just know how to avoid becoming victims. I always tell them that they should not develop patterns in their everyday lives. For example, in going home, they should not take the same route every time as hired killers would find it easy to know exactly where they are at a particular time,” Judge Santiago said.

Although Judge Santiago said that the feeling of fulfillment in public service is basically the same in the police force as well as in the Judiciary, he admitted he misses his police career specially when he hears news about police exploits.
 
“Before, I protect the citizenry from criminals. Now, I see to it that criminals are sent to jail and victims are given justice,” he said.

Judge Santiago added that the only difference between being a policeman and a judge is that as a cop, he used force, arms, and physical exertion, while his work as a judge entails him to use a pen and write decisions, which has more of a mental dimension.

Despite this difference, Judge Santiago admitted that his being a policeman has  helped a lot in his career in the Judiciary. “I see immediately in court whether a witness is lying or not. This skill enables me to determine whether the accused is guilty or not and whether he is also telling the truth,” he said.

Although Judge Santiago admits that he is enjoying his work now, he said being a judge is harder than being a policeman because it demands a whole lot of time and attention. “I believe that eight hours of work a day is not enough for a judge. For me, I go home at around 6:00 to 6:30 in the evening because of the workload.”

Aside from the heavy workload, Judge Santiago said that his job has a lot of restrictions for him especially in socializing. “So now, I eat with my staff here at the court a lot,” he said. On weekends, Judge Santiago also relaxes by taking road trips to nearby places such as Subic, Quezon, and Laguna, being a nature lover.

Now 49, Judge Santiago said that he plans to optionally retire when he reaches 60 and  travel the world and enjoy life. By then, he will already have almost 37 years in public service, when he could say he has already given it his all.

With this plan, Judge Santiago has 11 years to go as a member of the Judiciary. Forever in the crossfire, he said he is nothing but excited with the challenges ahead.