At 9:30 am, the Vice President had an interview with Kugos Bikol Inc. (KBI) at the Quezon City Reception House. KBI is a non-stock, non-profit NGO recently organized with offices in Legazpi City. The interview was about Translacion—an indie film that revolved around the life of the late Jesse Robredo. Translacionis focused on showing a counterforce to the current regime, a people-empowered system of governance of a be-medaled Mayor of Naga City, Jesse Robredo. They sought the genius and experience of Dr. Clodualdo “Doy” de Mundo, Jr. to transform the story and life of Jesse into a pulsating and convincing narrative and dialogue that captures the heart of a large number of people.
At 2:30 pm, the Vice President attended the 76thFar Eastern University (FEU) Law Annual Hooding and Commencement Exercises in FEU Manila Campus, Sampaloc, Manila. There were a total of fifty-eight graduates. Thirty-five from the Juris Doctor (JD) program and twenty-three from the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) program. This was the graduation of the first batch of FEU Institute of Law’s JD program which started in academic year 2014-2015; and is also the graduation of the last batch of the LLB program as it is set to be phased-out after this academic year.
In her speech, the Vice President asked the graduates to be brave in protecting the democracy by fighting for what is just and right. “I wish to call on all of you today to honor our profession by refusing to stay safely hidden in the sidelines, while our people fight for their rights and our democratic institutions fight for their survival. We go against not a single entity, but a growing culture of apathy. We do not protect our people from a single oppressor now the way we did during Martial Law, but the creeping, dangerous mentality that the rule of law and human rights are dispensable; the tendency to look away when Lady Justice peeks through her blindfold, and the folly of giving away our nation and our people’s security and sovereignty. Because just as the extraordinary acts of ordinary people saved our nation before, so can a misguided population derail the progress that was very near our grasp.”