Jesus Dureza

Jesus "Jess" Gestuveo Dureza (born December 24, 1947) is a Filipino lawyer, consultant, journalist and politician from Davao City, Philippines. He was the adviser on the peace process to President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2018 and is the Founding Chairman of Advocacy MindaNow Foundation, a group advocating for peace in Mindanao. He has held various appointive positions in past administrations including the chairmanship of the Mindanao Development Authority, the chairmanship of the Government Peace Negotiating Panel for Talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and Presidential Assistant for Mindanao. He is also a former Representative of the 1st District of Davao City in the Philippine House of Representatives.

Early life and education Dureza was born in Guimbal, Iloilo on December 24, 1947. His father, Martin Dureza, hails from Janiuay and took part in the local guerrilla warfare against the Japanese army during World War II. He was one year old when his family migrated to Davao. He finished elementary as the class valedictorian at Guihing Elementary School in Hagonoy in 1959. He attended the Holy Cross of Digos High School (now Cor Jesu College) in Digos where he was classmates with the future President Rodrigo Duterte and graduated with honors in 1963.

Dureza then joined politics in 1987 after being elected as Congressman of the newly established First District of Davao City. He served in the Corazon Aquino administration after his term in Congress as Director of the Philippine Coconut Authority in 1989. In 1992, he was again elected as Davao City Representative.

He served as Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process of the Philippines under the Rodrigo Duterte administration from June 30, 2016, to November 27, 2018.