Governance

Jesus "Jess" Gestuveo Dureza, 77 years old, is a lawyer, consultant, journalist and public servant from Davao City. He served as Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process under former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte from June 30, 2016 to November 2018, and was the Founding Chairman of the Advocacy MindaNow Foundation, a peace and development advocacy group in Mindanao. 

He has held several key government positions, including Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority, Chairman of the Government Peace Negotiating Panel for Talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and Presidential Assistant for Mindanao. He was first elected as Representative of the 1st District of Davao City in 1987, and was re-elected in 1992. 

Atty. Dureza was born on December 24, 1947, in Guimbal, Iloilo. His father, Martin Dureeza, hailed from Janiuay, Iloilo and took part in the local guerrilla resistance against the Japanese Army during World War II. When Jess was one year old, his family migrated to Davao. He finished elementary school as class valedictorian at Guihing Elementary School in Hagonoy in 1959 and graduated with honors from Holy Cross of Digos High School (now Cor Jesu College) in 1963, where he was a classmate of former President Rodrigo Duterte. 

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, Cum Laude, from Ateneo de Davao University in 1967, and completed his Bachelor of Laws degree from the same institution in 1972, placing 10th in the 1973 Philippine Bar Examinations.

Before entering politics, Dureza built a distinguished career in journalism. While still a law student, he worked as radio host for RMN Davao and as Davao correspondent for The Manila Times. After finishing law, he became editor of the Mindanao Times, correspondent for the Manila Bulletin, and television presenter of “Brainstorm” in Davao City. He also served as President of the Davao Press Club in 1972.

In government service, he served as Director of the Philippine Coconut Authority (1989 – 1992) under President Corazon Aquino. He was later appointed by President Fidel V. Ramos as Presidential Assistant for Mindanao and Chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council in 1998, and also served as Presidential Spokesperson from 1998 to 2000.

During President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s administration, he was appointed as Chairman of the GRP Panel for Talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front  (2001–2003), Chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (2001–2006), Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (2006–2008), Press Secretary (2008–2009), Chief Presidential Legal Counsel (2009), and Presidential Adviser on Mindanao (2009–2010). He was later designated as Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (2010) and Philippine Signing Minister to BIMP-EAGA.

Dureza has received several prestigious awards, including the Datu Bago Award (1983), the highest honor given to a Davaoeno, and the Presidential Medal of Merit conferred by President Fidel V. Ramos in June 1998. 

He was later appointed Publisher of the Mindanao Times and has been serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Mindanao since December 14, 2011.