THE barrio nestled at the base of a hill. In many ways, modernization had by-passed the place. It was figuratively at the end of the world. The dirt road ended in the barrio and no other villages were found beyond. Only a forested hill lay across the edge of the boundary.

What isolated the barrio in a physical sense was the absence of a bridge to span a river that cut across the way to the village. Vehicles could traverse the river during summer. But as soon as the rains fell, the swollen river was completely impassable to cars or even trucks. The people had to use a hanging bridge in which only a single file could pass.

Probably because of its great isolation, the barrio retained a rather primitive form of punishment for public offense. Robbery was high up in the list and was meted with five lashes of a reed resembling a young bamboo branch.

According to the tradition, each whipping with the reed had to be done by as many leaders of the barrio. If the punishment were three lashes, three individuals would do the whipping, one lash per person.

The barangay captain had selected five important inhabitants of the barrio. The team included a barrio councilor, an albularyo (herb doctor), a lady school teacher, a farmer, and a rural policeman.

The culprit lay face down on a makeshift table. The villagers crowded about ten meters away on an incline rising towards a hill at the back of the barrio.

In a silence and in succession, the assigned whippers did their job. The councilor lashed the young man once followed by the albularyo. Both swung the reed with force making the culprit writhe in evident pain. Tears welled from his eyes as he tried desperately not to wail. Reddish streaks began to appear on the young man’s back. The farmer was even more severe in his whipping.

Only the lady school teacher swung the reed with some restraint. It were as though she could not stand the cruelty and the extreme pain she was witnessing. Even then, the reed produced a visible line on the fleshy part of the back.

Finally, it was the turn of the rural policeman. In an audible voice, the policeman told the boy, "Kick me."

The people were surprised. Even the barangay captain who prescribed the punishment was astonished. "I do not understand. Why do you require him to kick you, Mr. Policeman?" asked the village head.

The rural policeman faced everyone and announced, "You see, unless I ask the culprit first to kick me. I would be accused of human rights violations if I go ahead with whipping him."