Duterte was an ordinary law student, his teacher Sixto Brillantes says

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte was an ordinary law student who was barely noticed in class, election lawyer Sixto Brillantes, his professor at the San Beda College of Law, said on Thursday.

"Noong nag-aaral yan hindi mo masyado mapapansin. Hindi naman talaga kagalingan," said Brillantes, former Chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), in an interview on Unang Balita.

"Estudyante ko 'yan noong 1968, 1969 at mahahalata mo naman kung sino yung magagaling sa klase at yung mga hindi mo napapansin, wala masyado sinabi yan [si Duterte]," Brillantes.

He did laud Duterte for finishing law at San Beda College in four years, saying it was not an easy feat considering the recitation required in class.

"Nakatapos 'yan sa San Beda College of Law dire-diretso. Ibig sabihin pag nakatapos ka ng four years sa San Beda College of Law ay hindi puwedeng wala kang nalalaman. Recitation ang sistema namin doon," Brillantes said.

The election lawyer recalled noticing Duterte on the first day of school because of his Visayan accent.

"Ang unang tayo niyan [sa recitation] hindi ko makakalimutan dahil Bisaya kung magsalita. Medyo may pagkatonong Bisaya [kaya] sabi ko 'baka hindi ito makatapos ng law kung ganyan ang style' pero tuloy-tuloy 'yan," Brillantes said.

He noted how Duterte's standing in class improved as time went by but he was still overshadowed by his classmates who included two of his Cabinet appointees: incoming Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade and incoming Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre.

Brillantes said Duterte is also classmates with the late congressman and presidential candidate Roy Señeres and Supreme Court Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes, who will swear in Duterte as president on Thursday noon. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/VVP, GMA News