Have you seen him? The doppelganger of President-Elect Rody Duterte?

Image: Cebu Daily News

Hon. Mayor Zigfred Povadora "Dodong" Duterte from the town of Tabogon,  Northern Cebu, is the doppelganger of President-elect Duterte.

According to Mayor Duterte, the President-elect Duterte is his third degree uncle.  His grandfather Ignacio Duterte was the first degree cousin of Digong's father Vicente.

I was touched with what I saw and read in the post of REM ZAMORA at his Google+ Profile.

This picture shows only that TEARS AND PAIN remind us of our humanity.

Photo credit to REM ZAMORA

Such drama and emotions happened during the SONA 2013.

Photo credit to REM ZAMORA

Photo credit to REM ZAMORA

This is the moment where we are called to UNITE.  To create one big culture and institutions wherein we are all responsible to mold our self in PROGRESS. 

We must all therefore, walk in forward for justice to be applied equally to all.  To give PRIDE with our RACE and be as one to FIGHT for our FREEDOM.

Excepts from his post...

Crying Cop

It was a long and tiring dispersal. People were injured. But amidst all of this, I saw a scenario which I thought I will never see during a dispersal.

A foreign protester was berating a policeman asking him why were the policemen hurting the people. Why were they pushing them. The officer simply stood ground and said he is a policeman it is their job to maintain peace and order. That they were given orders and they had to follow. 

Suddenly the officer cried. The foreigner kept on shouting at this officer. He was still crying. He was trying to hold his tears but he can't.

A second round of dispersal erupted and while every other anti-riot policemen are pushing and shoving trying to remove the protesters from the ground, the crying cop simply stood ground. He was still holding his shield firmly. Still weeping. Sobbing.

I approached the policeman and asked him his name. He said he is Joselito. A quick glance at his name tag reveals he is Policeman Joselito Sevilla. He said he is a private and his uniform patch reveals he is from Marikina police unit.

When asked why he is crying he replied, "Sa gutom at pagod. Walang tulog. Walang pahinga. Dalawang draw na kame nakadeploy dito. Tapos ganito nagkakagulo." This was also PO1 Sevilla's first dispersal assignment. (Because of hunger and no sleep. We have no rest and we have been stationed here for 2 days already and now it's getting violent.)

Suddenly I understand his situation. No sleep. No food. No rest. And he came face to face with protesters with a clear goal in mind, to break the police line. PO1 Joselito Sevilla was physically and emotionally exhausted. But he had orders to stood his ground and not let protesters get near the Batasan Complex. And he did. Without harming the protesters who at many instances during this long and tiring dispersal tried to hurt them also by throwing rocks and hitting them with wooden sticks from protest flags. 

And other protesters notice him also. A policeman whom they expect to retaliate to them was in front of them, holding his shield firmly, weeping. And they started to console PO1 Sevilla. A man hold his shoulder saying that everything is ok. A woman in front of him tried to give him a handkerchief to wipe his tears. And amidst all the chaos, these two protesters hugged PO1 Sevilla and assured him everything will be fine. 

Seconds after, other policemen noticed what was happening and they snatched PO1 Sevilla from the front lines. I was caught in the middle and I can not find him anymore.

He was gone. 



To Rem Zamora, thanks so much for taking all these pictures and show us the brighter side of the day on how we Filipinos embrace the real and true meaning of KAPATIRAN and KABABAYAN. 

Many of us here don't have a VALID IDENTIFICATION CARD like SSS, GSIS, PRC or a PHILPOST I.D.  I, for one, don't have this all due to the loss of a wallet.  Losing your wallet cause a major hassle, especially if you are planning to open a bank account and all of your valid I.D's are nowhere to be found.  I have nothing to do but to secure an AFFIDAVIT OF LOSS.  For this is not my first time I've loss my I.D's, I have kept one Affidavit of Loss in my folder I copied and change some important things like date, year, CEDULA No., etc...



You have to secure a CTC or COMMUNITY TAX CERTIFICATE or CEDULA to your Barangay Hall.  And have it notarized.  Go to any law firm, or seek an attorney and inquire their notary public fees. In my case, I went to the Sangguniang Building, 2nd floor, turn right, 1st door, there I pay PHp50 for NOTARIZATION.

Going to my main post about PHILPOST I.D, because I don't have yet my other valid I.D's and I am in a hurry to have one for my BANK REQUIREMENTS, I have to apply for a PHILPOST I.D knowing that you can get it 2-3 working days upon submitting all the necessary requirements they needed.

I went online and download their application, but too bad PHILPOST DAVAO will not honor ONLINE APPLICATION because according to the in-charge it is still the OLD APPLICATION FORM.  She handed me the new application form attached with all requirements:

1. AUTHENTICATED NSO BIRTH CERTIFICATE
2. (If married) NSO MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
3. CEDULA 
4. BARANGAY CERTIFICATION and CLEARANCE signed by an AUTHORIZED OFFICER or BARANGAY CAPTAIN
5. And have it NOTARIZED with a DOCUMENTARY STAMP.  Here I went to Sanggunian Panglungsod and pay PHp80.
6. After you comply all these requirements, go to WINDOW 16 of the PHILPOST and let the in-charge check your papers and pay PHp475. 

After paying, go to the 2nd floor and have your PHOTO TAKEN for your I.D.  Viola!  After 3 days of waiting I received my PHILIPPINE POSTAL I.D.

The Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) political aggrupation held their convention yesterday, September 28, at the SMX Convention Center of the newly-opened SM Premiere in Lanang, Davao City.

Hugpong is considered a mass-based organization of the urban poor and indigenous residents which supported various candidates in the 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2012 elections.

The Commission on Elections’s second division recently granted the petition of Hugpong to formally become a local political party. The petition for registration and accreditation was filed on March 28, 2012 by the party’s Secretary General, lawyer J. Melchor Quitain.

Its second overseas version, Eat Bulaga! Malaysia will premiere on Malaysia's TV3 on September 2012. 


Eat Bulaga! Santomense on São Tomé and Príncipe's TVS on January 2013, will be the first Philippine variety show to be franchised by an African country. 


Eat Bulaga! Timor-Leste will be shown on East Timor's RTTL on February 2013. 


While Angola will have the overseas version Eat Bulaga! Angola on TPA on March 4, 2013. 


The sixth overseas version is Eat Bulaga! Moçambique premiering on Mozambique's TVM on March 11, 2013.


Really?  Is this true?  According to a blog their top television station TV3 will start airing Eat Bulaga Malaysia on September 2012. Information remain in tight secrecy but it is expected that the show's format and cast of characters will be patterned after the show we grew up loving.

SEC chairperson Teresita Herbosa 1st Interviewee (4th Batch)

I feel like I have all the qualifications

Give everyone access to the courts, no delay, all cases decided on the basis of merits.

I took part in a UNICEF-funded project on training policemen in handling child-sensitive cases

As pointed out by other nominees, we lack judges. The filing fees should be graduated according to the nature of the case.


There should be an opportunity for everyone to rehabilitate & give back to society.


We should have most special courts to deal with special cases.

Law schools should have courses that train students into becoming judges.

Judges assigned to far-flung areas should be given more budget, hazard pay.


Some judges are not adept in handling estate cases; says judges should also be computer-literate.


Judges themselves should be able to train other judges. There should be emphasis on little-known fields of law.

IBP should start hiring full-time commissioners

There should be a filtering system for cases to be passed on to IBP commissioners. Young lawyers can read the cases.

Her great-grandmother was the sister of Jose Rizal

These are unusual times and may call for the unusual solution of an outsider being appointed as Chief Justice.

Lady Justice represents the underprivileged, including women, children.

For judicial restraint, says the Constitution is adequately worded & intent of the framers should be considered if it is unclear.

She is for SC taking an active role in shaping economic policy

The reason there's perception of corruption in the judiciary is some lawyers overpromise and underdeliver.

The court must be more transparent to fight corruption. Ex.: making public memoranda of both parties

Hermosisima: Do you feel God should give you a partner? Herbosa: I'm used to just be alone.


Everything should be based on merits. The court should implement more reforms to decongest clogged court dockets.

SC has a duty to restrain other Gov't entities when it comes to grave abuse of discretion but shouldn't interfere with other Gov't branches

You can't let personal beliefs interfere in deciding matters especially in evaluating facts of the case, evidence.

Believes candidates for CJ with pending cases should not be automatically disqualified. "You have to look into the merits of the case"

ex-San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora 2nd Interviewee (4th Batch)

Ang ating hukuman ay inaanay. Inaanay ng lagayan, inaanay ng suhulan

Give the poor more in law because they have less in life. The reward for massive reforms is justice for all.

I'd like to see more people getting involved in the law as part of their daily life

If we can double the judiciary's budget in 2-3 years, there will be tremendous improvements in dispensation of justice in PH.

I don't owe anybody a political obligation, a personal favor

I'm an outsider, I've never been in the judiciary, but I can enter it w/certain useful skills from other branches of Gov't

Every decision of every Gov't department is appealable just as, unfortunately, far too many decisions are appealable to SC.

On being a politician: I don't think politics is that far from the judiciary. Both are part of public life.

Tingin ko ang jueteng ay tanggap ng ordinaryong tao

Change the mentality that if they lost a case, the judge was bribed or they've been cheated

We should show judiciary's capital requirements; I'm surprised we're not computerized like law offices.

Marcos cases should be resolved. No case should drag on for 30 years.

Ma. Lourdes Sereno Associate Justice 3rd Interviewee (4th Batch)

Willing ako to undertake whatever sacrifices necessary to make (my vision for the judiciary) alive.

Ayaw ko ng personalistic na panunungkulan. Gusto ko community-shared vision.

My leadership will be marked by the creation of a generation of judges committed to excellence.

Lahat ng meron tayo galing sa Diyos. Pinanganak po ako na ganito talaga, ganado sa buhay.

"The moment you first accept a bribe (or) render an unjust decision, tuloy-tuloy na yan."

Guiding philosophy as a law professor: "Na napakaganda po ng batas."

Nais kong malaman ng mga Pilipino na ang kinakain nila, kinakain ko rin. Hindi nila masasabi na, 'masyado kang nasa taas.'

Kailangang mamuhay ako sa isang pamamaraan na nakikita ng mga tao na hindi ako magiging corrupt.

Kailangang nakikita na ang quality ng aking trabaho ay napakataas. Ang bawat linya ng aking trabaho galing sa puso, isip.


If it no longer hurts for her to see injustice, then she's no longer fulfilling her oath & not fit to stay.

It all depends on God whom I see from an eternal perspective.

Walang katotohanan na nais kong pahirapan yung mga magsasaka.

Bigla na lang po lumabas yung P10B (na just compensation amount) sa media.

Uniform ang jurisprudence natin. May formula ang just compensation.

Kung outsider ang ilalagay natin, parang nag-appoint ng civilian na mag-head ng giyera imbis na general.

Proposes body of experts which would identify possible conflicts in decisions.

In order to be justice, must be rendered in a credible manner. Judge rendering it must be credible

When we try to render justice, we try to render the work of God which is also justice.

Presbitero Velasco Jr.  Associate Justice 4th Interviewee (4th Batch)

SC needs a bigger budget for construction of courtrooms, equipment

The independence of our judges who receive allowances from LGUs may be somewhat compromised.

Financial support from LGUs should be placed in a judicial trust fund

He had difficulty deciding whether to accept CJ nomination or not

I realized I have a wealth of experience behind me.

Rule of law & economic growth: We must show foreign investors that court decisions are predictable, uniform, consistent.

A lot of litigants in this country can be considered 'pauper litigants.' There's a big need for legal aid lawyers.


More public attorneys needed to help address delays in cases.


IBP chapters have to create legal aid committees with volunteer lawyers.

Suggests creation of a community legal service where new lawyers will be mandated to serve a community for free for 1 year

Aspiring judges have to undergo training in preparing resolutions.

Napakaganda po ng Writ of Kalikasan. We are trying to encourage litigation for the environment

CHIEF JUSTICE interviews now completed.

UE Law Dean Amado Valdez 1st interviewee (3rd Batch)

Even if a candidate doesn't pass Bar he can be useful in the community.


Passing the Bar is tough work, a bragging right, but it is not a sad commentary on the legal system of PH.


Every student who graduates, you develop him as a productive asset of the community.

The best can still be better

We need disciplined people for the purpose of economic development.

 "I'm well rounded, I write, teach, manage, walked the corridors of power, met dignitaries etc.".

I have walked along the corridor of powers. I have acquired the confidence of dealing w/ these people.

Weaknesses should not be avoided, it reminds you of your mortality.

I believe we have to empower our judges.

"I'm not just academician, I sit on the board, legal aid, member of Rotary"

"I think it's unconstitutional, don't know why SC imposed that, but maybe SC needs money".

walang magbubuhat ng bangko kundi ang sarili mo.

I think that's pending; It has to be reasonable, should not affect country's coffers.


We should have an inventory of those who have been granted lands from this program if we are able to achieve our purpose.

I wasn't being narcissistic, I was just being passionate in answering the questions.

Novus Ordo Seclorum. A new order of the ages.

You can't be a judicial activist on one hand and exercise judicial restraint on the other. You have to follow the mean.


While the public has a window to proceedings, he has reservations as the process may be trivialized.

My inclination is not to allow foreigners to practice law in PH

Humility is important but modesty could be more appropriate. Sometimes if you overdo humility, it will show weakness

Note: Vicente Velasquez has been disqualified, so next is SC Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

Justice Antonio Carpio Most Senior sitting magistrate of SC 2nd interviewee (3rd Batch)

We have to follow the Constitution; the President has prerogative to appoint anyone in JBC list.


A tradition that CJ be chosen from senior SC justices; Only 1 instance outsider was put in place.

It doesn't mean that because the CJ was impeached, the whole court is also impeached. There is no guilt by association.

He will work harmoniously with whoever is appointed Chief Justice.

"Only one man was impeached not the whole Supreme Court, reforms can be done by someone from within"

They accuse me of being close to Pres.; I'm not. Some even saying I'm not close to the President and I won't be appointed.

"The power to impeach lies with Congress, we can't complain - the constitution authorizes that"

"I've never lobbied with any justice, or visited any in their chambers, I've never approached on any case, even political cases"

If they want to join me in my ponencia, then they join me. That's my policy ever since.

# 1 problem in judiciary: Clogged dockets. I have proposed changes here.

"The objective is only 10% of cases filed go to trial, that's doable, we can filter cases. We've adopted small-claims court too"

"We've prohibited delay tactics like motion to dismiss, postpone. We should expand this to ALL civil cases, cut trial time 50%"

I assure the public that I will continue to be independent; I maintained a consistent judicial philosophy ever since

"I opposed cha-cha of FVR, constitution shouldn't be amended for 1 person - it should be enduring, be assured I respect constitution"

It took me 3 years to be comfortable with the work in the Supreme Court. 

To know the problems in the judiciary, you have to observe it over a period of time.


Do you think you can ever be friends with the former chief justice? | Carpio: Yes, why not?

SC Assoc. Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro 3rd interviewee (3rd Batch)

The judiciary is not for the weak of heart.

I understand that it's important to reach out to Gov't branches & agencies, to expand perspective & avail of resources.

Public services must be wielded for the common good

I am committed to pursue reforms in the judiciary including access to justice, enhancing institutional integrity.


We try to see to it that the Supreme Court is gender-sensitive.

I will be ready for work if appointed to CJ post.

In our meetings we discuss how to improve the administration of justice, the decongestion of prisons.


Improving case adjudication as main priority; Congestion in dockets already a problem in '70s, until now.

We need to do more; We can do measures to make sure we can speedily dispense justice.

Discussing mediation, small claims court, Katarungang Pambarangay

Judicial system a contributing factor in delays in resolving cases.

Her court will be an independent; integrity is upheld, people have trust, confidence; Members of court as a model...

If I were appointed back then, I hope there would be no impeachment.


SC can utilize the spirit of cooperation of women judges in implementing judicial reform projects.

Hopes more female judges will be appointed, says only 33% of judges/justices are female

SC can utilize the spirit of cooperation of women judges in implementing judicial reform projects.

I understand moral fitness mean not simply obeying the law. You must transcend that, actions should be proper, decent

There should be standard criteria for evaluating judges; We're now drafting it; Many factors to be taken in consideration.

Accountability is not only legal but also a spiritual standard as well.

The Legal Education Board has enough authority to reform our law schools.


Anyone who tells me there's a mass at SC, I attend (when asked about the masses at SC during.


We pray for everyone (during those masses); I think prayer is very good.

I don't see anything wrong w/ being populist, as long as we serve the people; No conflict b/w transparency, populism

In private practice: I've had some experience in handling family law cases; These are cases elevated up to SC.

I have no regrets over any decision. I have never flip-flopped. 

If appointed first female Chief Justice: Would be a great honor, but pressure to prove myself to be worthy.

I'm not in favor of the death penalty; I'm more for restorative justice.


We're being criticized left & right but people should know there are many dedicated public servants in the judiciary.

The court is not as bad as (people) think it is.

Cesar VillanuevaChair, Governance Commission for GOCC5th interviewee (3rd Batch)

The law represents the mind and soul of society

The law constitutes the very essence of man's civilization.


Our nation is at the crossroads; Men & women should show goodwill in the process of selecting CJ.


Being part of the Supreme Court and update the principles of commercial law are important tasks.

I think by requiring MCLE providers a program to let students get better, upgraded courses, it would be more relevant

The SC's education & training arm should be empowered.

I don't consider myself exactly an outsider (cites working with PhilJA, judiciary)

What attracted me to becoming a justice was when I worked at Phil Judicial Academy; Some of the best legal minds there.


Vision for SC: That it becomes more than just a trier of facts, Constitutional court; Becomes a true pillar in PH.

How can people ask for democracy if they are starving?

Being a member of fraternity not really an advantage. However he says it will be a natural way of things

If you're a frat bro, it doesn't necessarily become an advantage. Instead of trying to outlaw them, live with them.


Top 3 priorities: 1) Unite the SC, judiciary 2) Study road map for the judiciary 3) Ease caseloads of judges, justices


If we want to have a quality justice system, the justices should be well-paid.


SC should primarily be a Constitutional court; It should not overburden itself w/ cases, should concentrate on important cases.


On Sharia law (Islamic law): There is an important consideration given to make sure Sharia system develops.




Good Job again. 




JBC ends interviews for July 26. To resume tomorrow, July 27, 9am.