Alleged Oro Sugbo robbery mastermind now a lawyer

CEBU, Philippines — Looks like the alleged mastermind in the Oro Sugbo Pawnshop and Jewelry store robbery last Nov. 25 would not be needing a lawyer to defend himself.

This is because Jigger Geverola is among the 3,812 candidates who passed the 2023 Bar examinations, whose results were released yesterday by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

“Una gyud nakong gibati gyud ang kanang di masabot o gitawag nato nga ambivalent nga gibati ug mixed emotion. Maglagot ka nga nakapasar na unta ka pero naay sitwasyon nga nagpahipi,” he said, in an interview with The Freeman at his Cebu City Police Office detention cell.

But Geverola said that despite the sutuation he is in now, he is still thankful to  God and to all those who supported him, including his family.

"Pero bisan unsa pa man pasalamat sa Ginoo, pasalamat sa Kahitas-an, pasalamat sa tanang pagsuporta ug nisanong sa akong kalampusan karon...sa akong pamilya, ug sa...tanang nag-ampo nga makalingkawas ko ani akong nahiaguman nga pagsulay, sa hadla sa kahigayonan,” he said.

Prior to his arrest last Nov. 28 in Argao, Cebu, Geverola worked as an administrative staff of Cebu Second District Board Member Raymond Joseph Calderon.

His advise to those who would also take the bar exams? Being a lawyer is a destiny.

“Destiny gyud ang tanang butang aning kalibutana. Ang Ginoo naghatag na nato og para asa ta, kung para gyud ka diha nga maabogado ka, bisan unsa pa ang pagsulay, bisan unsa pa ang agi-anan padulong gyud ka nganha," Geverola said.

"Ang importante lang nga determinado lang gyud ka ug mismo gamiton nimo ang tanang nahibaloan, sakripisyo, focus, determination, ug pag-ampo sa Kahistas-an nga lamdangan ka sa tanang higayon unsay angay nimong buhaton, ug unsa ang angay nimong tun-an ,ug unsaon nimo pag-answer sa bar exams,” he added.

Meanwhile, in an interview with MyTV Cebu, Celsa, Geverola’s 65-year-old mother, said that she was both happy and sad upon learning that his son passed the bar exams.

Celsa said that while the case against his eldest son is ongoing, him hurdling the bar exams is an achievement for the family.

Celsa said she was able to talk to Geverola via phone yesterday, as his wife visited him at his detention cell to break the good news, and her son even joked for her to just slaughter the pig once he will be out of jail.

She expressed hope that Geverola would be able to clear his name one day and thus restore honor to their family name. — (FREEMAN)