Sometimes a voice in the wilderness, in a throng of fence-sitters. Not just an ordinary concerned citizen, but an evocative sentinel in a city populated by a silent majority. A vanguard of justice, who has high hopes that there is always that silver living, although shrouded by some evil intentions by unscrupulous manipulators . His brilliance has long been acknowledged, even during his student days. Equipped with the wisdom of Solomon, he practices his profession as a Judge in a manner that disarms even the most ill-intentioned covetous culprit. His religiosity is a family trait, drawn from years of living a Christian life, his source of inner strength. If one is a Judge, whose father is also a Judge, then he must possess the ineptness of a weighing scale. If he can voice out what others whisper in a subdued atmosphere, then he must be imbued with the courage of Ulysses. Judge Dionisio Rocha Calibo, Jr. is all these and more. It was a chance-meeting I had with him at his residence near the Our Lady of Lourdes Church. My appointment was with Atty. Bernard Calibo of NAPOLCOM. Crossing the street, separating their residence from the Church after a Sunday Holy Mass, he and his father was a sight to behold. The Junior, holding the arm of the Senior. Two generations of Judges, in the same directions. The search for truth and justice.

LMP: Is Tagbilaran progressing or not?

DRC: I think Tagbilaran is progressing. If you look around, roads are improving, buildings are coming up, we are growing, we are improving.

LMP: What are the problems that you can perceive right now?

DRC: There are many problems. Right now there is the water and electric problem. I don't like it. Nabalhin man gud ang PPUD to a private company the Salcon Group. From the start I was against it since I knew that PPUD was profitable, and the reason given that time was, it was losing.

LMP: Did you believe that this reason given was shallow?

DRC: During my DTI days I had access to some information. I was at the Capitol and I knew all the time it was very profitable for the province. The province was able to hire many casuals. Although, PPUD had some lapses. It could have been even better if those utilities have been managed like a private corporation, but belonging to the Government. If the Government holds the public utility, which is precisely a monopoly, the people are benefited. Public utilities which are owned are not profit-oriented. Pagpalit sa Salcon sa PPUD nawad-an ug income ang gobyerno. But on the other hand, nagsige pud ug saka ang rate because it belongs to a private group which is profit conscious. Ug mo privatize gani mosaka jud ang rate kay privately owned naman; wa-na kay say.

LMP: Going back to 2000, what was your observation as to the motive? Was politics involved there?

DRC: I would hate to talk about this, because some other friends of mine were also involved, I hate to say this, but I have to say it. Ang best interest of the Boholanos was not primordial pero ang nahitabo kaniadto, it was based on a selfish motive. Mao nga gipagawas nila nga losing, when they're not losing. During the court hearing one of the witnesses miingon nga losing, we challenged him. Can you produce documents to prove nga losing, “Ang tubag: I think the papers Sir are with the Treasurer. “Pagkahuman, “I think it is with the Governor”. So, after the hearing I went right away to COA, and eventually I got access to the record, and I asked the COA Auditor nga tinuod ba gyud nga losing. She admitted to me nga it's not losing it's very
lucrative pero natago lang sa general fund. That money could have been used for services, for hospital facilities. The electric utility is even more profitable than water. But water was also very profitable. Mopalit ba gud sila kon losing? Ingon sila nga ilang increasan kay losing. Karon nga gi buy-back, di man sila mosugot. Kon ang ilang negosyo alkansi, ila unta kining gibalik sa nagbaligya.

LMP: If it's really losing they would throw it away. But I noticed that sometime last month there was already a newspaper write up saying that “Bohol Light is gaining”. Was that not surprising?

DRC: Katingad-an, kay kalit nga kambyo ang gihimo. Mahadlok naman sila ug paliton. Eventually mo admit sila kay ug ipatan-aw na ug Auditor. Klaro man gyud nga dili losing. Ang mga expenses, diba unnecessary, or maybe adto ra sa profit?

LMP: You are with the Provincial and City Government for the buy back?

DRC: In fact, I'm happy nga girevive ang issue, mao man jud ni usa sa akong mga hinanakit, wala jud koy nahimo. I was so frustrated. I felt like I was a lonely voice, kay daghan kaayong naghilom lang. We lost something, we lost our golden egg. We should get it back kay it is a public utility. Water and energy, essential man jud nato. That should be ours, which is ours in the first place.

LMP: This move by the both Province and the City, what do you think would be the outcome? You see an effort or something that would bear fruit later on?

DRC: I hope it will bear fruit. I hope they will not fail. I admire Mayor Lim for his decision. He is sincere in buying it back. I hope that Governor Aumentado is also sincere about buying it back. I think if the Gov. and the Mayor will move heaven and earth, nobody can stop them. Nobody can stop the Governor and the Mayor. They can have support of the entire population. Kinsa may gusto ug uncontrolled prices?

LMP: But the way you look at things now, do you believe that there are now some people waking up?

DRC: I hope so. In fact I'm glad nga nahitabo ni kay sige ko ug pangadye, “Lord can you not help us”? I'm here fighting big business, and I know that I'm sincere, no personal agenda. And I hope my friends here will be considerate enough and responsible enough to do the best thing to do.

LMP: Your perception of the outcome.

DRC: I think I overheard Cong. Chatto, if I heard him right; he even admitted nga may violation sa contract. I hope it is still his stand on the issue. The fact nga wa jud bahini ang Province sa share nga 30%. Dakung kataw-ana, motoo ba gud ka nga way ganansya? Unya I heard nga utangan na hinuon ang Province ug 2M kada buwan. Before, libre ang Capitolyo sa water and electric, kay sila goy tag-iya. Karon, alkansi na pud kay utangan naman hinuon sila. We lost a lot, luoy kayo ang Bohol . I really feel bad about that. Luoy ang Bolanon. And to think nga daghan ta ug facilities sa Provincial hospital nga kuwang, unya we cannot do anything kay wa tay kwarta. I'm glad that the Local officials seem to be doing something about it. I hope they do more, even more. I hope the people will be responsible enough to do the best thing.

Judge Dioniso R. Calibo, Jr., wishes to live a low profile, he being a Judge of no mean caliber. He doesn't want to be branded as busy-body, who dips his finger into some other person's bowl, for that's not his cup of tea. He enjoys solitude, even anonymity; but there are times when he needs to ventilate what he thinks is right, especially when the benefit of the people is at stake. His being a Christian make him his brother's keeper, a responsibility he does not shrug off. Being a Judge makes him understand fully the dictum that Justice is fairness. His world is not just the courtroom. The wider world outside is his bigger concern. The search for Justice is on.