When he faced journalists in what turned out to be a getting-to-know-you mini-presscon, senatoriable Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno (of the Otso Diretso team) mentioned only in passing his being the son of the well-loved Sen. Jose Diokno, the human-rights champion who was among the prominent figures thrown behind bars during the Martial Law era.
Chel didn’t have to since his own sterling record can speak eloquently for him. A practicing lawyer for almost 30 years, Chel is the founding dean of the De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law and the chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the oldest organization of human rights lawyers in the Philippines (established in 1974) that handles cases involving civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
In 2012, he was short-listed by the Judicial & Bar Council for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. In 2013, he served as a member of the Supreme Court Core Committee of the National Conference for the Revision of the Rules of Civil Procedure, and chaired the Post-Trial Cluster Technical Working Group. In 2015, he was appointed as a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for a six-year term.
As you can see, based on that partial listing of his achievements as a lawyer, Chel is highly qualified to be in the Senate, banking on his formidable curriculum vitae compared to some candidates whose claim to fame is their appearance in a TV show.
Asked in jest if he could sing (as do some candidates to cover up for their inadequacy) and if he could give a “sample,” Chel begged off.
“We don’t sing, we don’t dance,” he said. “What we are supposed and expected to do is to make laws,” adding that he does love music and his favorite singer is Lou Rawls. ”That’s why we are requesting for a debate so that the people will know who deserves to be in the Senate.”
Unknown to moviegoers, the voiceover in some of the crucial scenes of Erik Matti’s critically-acclaimed movie Buy Bust was done by Chel. And that’s not his only showbiz connection. There’s also his son, Jose Lorenzo “Pepe” Diokno (namesake of his lolo; who accompanied Chel to the presscon), who is, as movie fans know, a director, producer and writer with an impressive filmography topped by his debut film, Engkwentro, which won the Lion of the Future-Luigi de Laurentiis Award and the Orizzonti Prize at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival (VIFF), and also received the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film at the 2010 Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), a special citation from the 2009 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival (CIFF) and an Ani ng Dangal Award from Pres. DU30.
Aside from his son Pepe, there’s so much showbiz in Chel’s life. The human rights lawyer is a movie addict.
Pepe’s second film, Above The Clouds, premiered at the 2014 Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) and was nominated Best Film at the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF) that same year. It’s about a teenager (played by Ruru Madrid) who goes on a hiking trip with his grandfather (played by the late rock ‘n’ roll icon Pepe Smith). His third film, Kapatiran, premiered as an Official Selection at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF),
“I’ve seen all those films and his short films as well,” said Chel. “I like Engkwentro. It’s about a town mayor engaged in EJK (Extra Judicial Killing) and two brothers who end up in rival groups. I was surprised at his ability to create realistic dialogue in a suburban poor community. I never thought that my son has spent a lot of time in that milieu; I never knew that he was exposed to that milieu. I’ve seen Engkwentro several times and it still amazes me every time I watch it again.”
Related Pepe (also chairman of Epicmedia, the independent production company behind Hele Sa Hiwaga Ng Hapis, Lav Diaz’s film that won Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and the sleeper hit That Thing Called Tadhana), “I became aware of my dad’s job when I was about seven years old…about the cases that he handled against powerful people, for which he got death threats that never scared him. I remember how he saved a man from lethal injection. The man was already lying in bed set to be injected, when my dad came to his rescue. At the last minute, a call came to stop the execution. The caller was then Pres. Joseph Estrada.”
No, Chel didn’t sing Pepe and his siblings to sleep.
“Instead,” added Pepe, “he would tell us stories that he himself created in his mind.”
It must have been from Chel that Pepe got his knack for storytelling. His dad’s life story (full of action and suspense) is a good material for a movie. So, why not, Pepe?
“Too early,” said Pepe. ”His life is just starting.”
The star-studded campaign trail
The campaign trail is as star-studded as, if not even more so, than the previous years.
Let’s call the roll (of showbiz/showbiz-related candidates):
• For senator: Grace Poe, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Lito Lapid, Freddie Aguilar, Willie Ong (who hosts a show), Chel Diokno, Pilo Hilbay (Agot Isidro’s boyfriend), Imee Marcos, Jiggy Manicad, Pia Cayetano, Romy Macalintal (host of a radio program) and Mar Roxas.
• For congressman: Alfred Vargas, Monsour del Rosario, Yul Servo, Strike Revilla, Richard Yap, Edu Manzano, Martin Romualdez, Allan Peter Cayetano, Lucy Torres, Dan Fernandez, Ali Atienza, Precious Hipolito, Rommel Padilla, Rowena Bautista-Mendiola, Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas, Christopher de Venecia, Edward Maceda and Vilma Santos.
• For governor: ER Ejercito and Daniel Fernando.
• For vice governor: Imelda Papin and Jolo Revilla.
• For mayor: Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Joy Belmonte, Isko Moreno, Andeng Bautista-Ynares, Mark Lapid, Vico Sotto, Lani Mercado, Alfred Romualdez, Lino Cayetano and Richard Gomez.
• For vice mayor: Gian Sotto, Gary Estrada, Roderick Paulate, Maricel Morales, Jopet Sison and Jeremy Marquez.
• For councilor: Jhong Hilario, Kate Coseteng, Sheryl Cruz, Migue Moreno, Dagul (Romy Pastrana in real life), Jaycee Parker, Franz Pumaren and Lala Sotto.
• For Party-list: Gina de Venecia, Ciara Sotto and Lito Atienza.
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