Tempest
By Carlos Isagani Zarate
Inquirer News Service

A BIG storm of dissent is gathering in the South. It's not because the peace talk between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is again on the verge of being disrupted by the imbroglio sweeping the nation over the so-called "Gloria-gate" scandal on the wiretapped conversations allegedly between the President and a Comelec commissioner. The gathering storm is not even related to the call of some politicians for the establishment of a "Mindanao Republic," to spare the region from "Imperial Manila's scandals and bedlam" that have torpedoed the country's progress.

The "eye of the storm" is right on the members of the outgoing board of governors of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, led by incumbent IBP president Jose Cadiz.

The leaders of the 11 IBP chapters in Eastern Mindanao recently came out with a strongly worded resolution condemning the May 13 "unjust expulsion" of their incumbent regional governor, lawyer Leonard De Vera. A member of the Agusan del Sur Chapter and also the incumbent IBP executive vice president, De Vera is set to assume as the organization's national president on July 1.

De Vera's expulsion "shocked, if not revolted, the senses of the leaders and members of Eastern Mindanao's IBP chapters because it was made without observance of due process and without basis in fact and in law, coming as it did from lawyers who are supposed to be leaders of the Philippine Bar and who took an oath to uphold the rule of law," said the IBP leaders in a resolution issued last June 4, during the election of the new governors for the incoming IBP national board.

The resolution was signed by lawyers Bernard Dagcuta (Surigao del Norte and the new governor-elect for Eastern Mindanao), Caesar Europa (Davao City), Filomeno Cadiz (Agusan del Sur), Nelbert Poculan (Agusan del Norte), Israelito Torreon (Davao del Sur), Pableo Baldoza (Davao Oriental), Waldo Rebolos (Misamis Oriental), Reynaldo Salve (Davao del Norte), Nemesio Beltran (Bukidnon) and Florencio Narido Jr. (Camiguin).

The outrage felt by these IBP leaders is understandable. De Vera was "hazily but hastily" ousted from the IBP board of governors for allegedly rallying the different IBP chapters all over the country "to rebel against the Board" during the recently concluded 10th National Lawyers' Convention in Baguio City. During the plenary session, the Cadiz-led board was chastised by the delegates for withdrawing -- without consulting the different IBP chapters -- its Supreme Court petition questioning the constitutionality of the increased legal fees.

"We asked them to explain their infamous decision but they opted to remain silent during the plenary session," recalled IBP-Davao City president Caesar Europa. He said De Vera was "unceremoniously ousted" on May 13, "less than 24 hours" after a complaint was filed against him by IBP governor Romulo Rivera of Northern Luzon. Under the IBP by-laws, the removal of De Vera is subject to the approval of the Supreme Court.

"He (De Vera) was not afforded any hearing, any right to present evidence, any opportunity to question his accusers," Europa said in his June 14 letter to Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. A total of 25 IBP chapters protested De Vera's expulsion, including the Baguio-Benguet chapter, whose members signed their resolution in red ink to emphasize their disgust.

Apparently, there are "devious machinations" to prevent De Vera from assuming the IBP's top post.

Prior to his expulsion, a complaint for disbarment was also filed before the high court by Zoilo Velez of Cagayan de Oro City. Velez used "almost exactly the same grounds" he cited in filing a petition to disqualify De Vera from running as governor of Eastern Mindanao in 2003. The Court earlier dismissed that petition of Velez for lack of merit. Yet, as if De Vera's travails are not enough, the outgoing IBP board added "insult to (his) injury." Last week, De Vera was also removed as the national executive vice president by the outgoing board of governors. He was replaced by lawyer Pura Angelica Santiago of Southern Luzon.

"What right do the majority members of the Board of Governors have to elect a new Executive Vice President when the expulsion of the incumbent Executive Vice President, Governor De Vera, has yet to be approved by the Supreme Court? Is it not contumacious for them to preempt the decision of the Supreme Court?" Europa further said in his letter to Chief Justice Davide.

Under the "rotation rule" established by the Court, the IBP national president, or the position of executive vice president, who is elected from among the governors and who automatically becomes the next president, is supposed to come from the Eastern Mindanao Region for the term 2005-2007. In effect, what the outgoing board did in electing a new executive vice president is to deprive Eastern Mindanao of its right to the presidency of the IBP, Europa said.

"This smacks of a midnight appointment, which, for very good reasons, even the President of the Philippines, is prohibited from doing under the Constitution."

Indeed, some people are going too far.

* * *

GAD FATHERS: Today, at the weekly Kapihan sa SM Davao, which is hosted by the Davao Press Club, the newly organized Gender and Development-Fathers Advocating Total Health, Responsibility and Gender Sensitivity (GAD FATHERS) will be formally launched. GAD FATHERS is a loose network of men in Davao City, composed of well-meaning fathers, committed to serve as a self-help community action group and volunteer peer counselors in the advocacy for gender equality and in the campaign to stop violence against women and children (VAWC) at the community level.