WRITE UP ON RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ
(APPEARING IN THE 25TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY YEARBOOK OF UP LAW ’80 IN NOVEMBER 2006)
Turn on the television and he’s there, speaking for a high-profile client. Open your newspapers and his face would probably be there too, citing legalese on certain issues. And if you do not know what Rufus B. Rodriguez is up to these days, it may be because you are totally tuned out, or you just do not care about what is happening to our country.
Yet, amid all the celebrated cases he is handling, Rufus gets the most professional fulfillment in ‘’being able to teach law in a grand manner.’’
Rufus has always been one to do great service to the country through various ways. Born in Cagayan de Oro, the city of golden friendship, he graduated Grade School (Valedictorian) and High School (Valedictorian) at Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan). This well-regarded legal eagle has been exposed to years of teaching, voluntary arbitration, commercial arbitration and law practice.
After earning his AB Economics degree Summa Cum Laude from De La Salle University in 1975, he pursued further studies by taking up law at UP where he was a consistent member of the Order of the Purple Feather Honor Society, finished 7th in the graduating class, and ranked 17th in the 1981 bar exams. Rufus went on to earn his LL.M. degree from the Columbia University School of Law in New York in 1995. There, he was awarded the Harlan Fiske Stone Honors which is equivalent to Magna Cum Laude. He also earned his MA-Economics with High Distinction in Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City in 1984.
While studying at UP, he was elected during the World Law Conference held in Manila, as President of the World Association of Law Students (WALS), based in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. the first and only Filipino to hold such position.
“To be able to serve the country with integrity and dedication,” is the guiding principle that has driven this affable lawyer to serve his country in the political sphere. Rufus has rendered public service as a provincial board member of Misamis Oriental and then as Vice Governor of the same province. His public service career was highlighted by his stint as the no-nonsense Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration with the slogan “Honesty, Integrity and Transparency in the new BI”. He fought the international human smuggling syndicates, removed fixers at the Bureau and dismissed its corrupt officials.
While heading the Bureau of Immigration, he appointed many qualified Cagay-anons to different positions at the Bureau.
He also became the youngest dean of San Sebastian College of Law, a reviewer for the bar exams and has written several law books such as Corporation Code Annotated, Insurance Code Annotated, and Family Code Annotated.
“To serve my clients with utmost loyalty and hard work,” is a passion that has guided him in his law practice and partnership with classmate Jesus P. Casila. Together, they formed the Rodriguez Casila & Associates Law Offices.
Among the clients he had represented as counsel are President Joseph “Erap” Estrada; presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr.; vice presidential candidate Loren B. Legarda; San Juan Mayor John Victor Ejercito; Senator Loi Estrada; Senator Jinggoy Estrada; Tribune Publisher Ninez Cacho Olivares; Congressman Harry Angping, ARMM Speaker Ismael Abubakar; Lanao del Sur Mahid Mutilan; Ms. Laarni Enriquez; NBI Director Samuel Ong; and actor Rez Cortez.
He was also counsel for the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC) headed by then Vice President Erap Estrada from 1993 to 1998; the Laban ng Mamamayang Masang Pilipino (LAMMP) during the 1998 Presidential elections, and the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) during the 2004 Presidential elections. He exposed and protested against the massive cheating committed by the administration against the KNP Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates in the 2004 elections.
He is currently involved in many fields of endeavor which includes serving as Secretary General of Transparency International (TI) Philippine Chapter, an NGO fighting graft and corruption, and the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI) which provides commercial arbitration services to disputants. He is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Association of Voluntary Arbitrators (PAVA) of which he is an Accredited Voluntary Arbitrator (AVA).
His greatest achievements, he says, are having a very happy family life with wife, Nenen (Fenina), a CPA, and daughter, Regine, 12; and being able to teach law students and make good Christian lawyers out of them at San Sebastian College of Law.
During his free time, he spends his days with his family in their farms in Cavite, Bulacan and Misamis Oriental enjoying nature and harvesting fruits such as durian, mangosteen, rambutan and mangoes.
A successful career gilded with well-deserved respect and admiration from his peers, a loving family, and friendships that have stood the test of time – Rufus is thankful to the Lord up above for all the blessings he and his family have received.
FIRM COMMITMENT TO HONEST AND PEACEFUL
FULL SUPPORT TO CBCP GUIDELINES FOR
RESPONSIBLE VOTING AND PBS GUIDELINES
OF A GOOD LEADER
a) Covenant For Honest and Peaceful Election
I firmly commit to Honest and Peaceful elections in May 14, 2007. I would call on all the other candidates in the city to attend a seminar and sign a Covenant for Honest and Peaceful elections. We should all commit that no guns, goons nor gold shall be used and no cheating of whatever nature shall be employed by any candidate or party. I shall coordinate this with the COMELEC , AFP, PNP, PPCRV and NAMFREL which shall likewise sign as witnesses to this Covenant.
b) CBCP’S “10 Commandments for Responsible Voting”
I fully commit to support and follow the CBCP’s guidelines on responsible voting.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has officially began taking part in the upcoming midterm elections by issuing moral guidelines for Filipino voters through its election watchdog, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
Dubbed as the “10 Commandments for Responsible Voting,” the guidelines were published in the PPCRV manual that will be used in a massive education campaign to issue moral guidance to and equip voters for the May elections.
The guidelines would be used by priests and nuns, lay leaders and volunteers in facilitating the formation program for electoral education.
The 10-point guidelines are:
* Thou shall vote according to the dictate of your conscience.
* Thou shall respect the decision of others in choosing their
candidates.
* Thou shall seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities
and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote
for.
* Thou shall strive to understand the issues, platform
and programs of candidates in parties seeking our vote.
* Thou shall not sell your vote.
* Thou shall not vote for candidates using guns, goons and
gold.
* Thou shall not vote for candidates with records of graft and
corruption.
* Thou shall not vote for candidates just because of
popularity, “utang na loob (debt of gratitude)” or
“pakikisama (sense of camaraderie).”
* Thou shall not vote for candidates living an immoral life.
* Thou shall put the welfare of the country above all else
in choosing the candidates you will vote for.
c) PBS’ Guidelines of a Good Leader
I likewise commit to abide by and practice the 10 traits of a good leader laid down by the PBS.
The Philippine Bible Society, a non-stock nonprofit organization founded in 1899 whose aim is to make the Holy Scripture available to the public, has come up with guidelines selecting worthy national and local leaders.
Entitled “Sino Ang Dapat Iboto sa Halalan 2007?,” the tract is guided by Proverbs 29:2 which says that the state of a nation is reflective of its leaders’ moral bearing.
The tract outlines 10 traits of a good leader, each of them supported by a certain passage from the Holy Scripture:
1. God-fearing (2 Samuel 23:3-4);
2. Displays genuine concern and love for our nation
3. Has leadership abilities (Genesis 41:37-41);
4. Manages his own family well (1 Timothy 3:4);
5. Has integrity (Deuteronomy 16:18-19);
6. Industrious (Romans 12:11);
7. Righteous (Song of Songs 89:14);
8. Generous (Proverbs 29:4);
9. True to his words (Proverbs 25:14); and
10. Impartial (Proverbs 31:8-9)
I am therefore committed to uphold and ensure honest and peaceful elections. I also support CBCP’s Guidelines for Responsible Voting. I will also abide and follow the PBS Guidelines of a Good Leader.
