Before entering showbiz, he was a basketball player for Trinity College. He used to be in the movies and television of the 80’s and he is the brother of Isabel Rivas. He won and became a congressman of Quezon City in 1992-1995.
Dennis Roldan is Mitchell Gumabao in real life, a former actor and a lawmaker who was accused of being the mastermind in the 2005 kidnapping of a 3-year old Chinese-Filipino boy in 2005. He was arrested and jailed, now a full-time pastor with Jesus Christ the Life Giver Ministry Inc. based in Quezon City.
He revealed that he made a “covenant” with God during his jail for almost two years. He started reading bible when he was in Pasig. He told he embraces the Bible. His religious transformation began when a pastor who conducted Bible studies and fellowship seminars in jail talked to him very intently about renewal of faith. The pastor convinced him to become a born-again Christian. He immediately joined his church doing pastoral work after he was released on bail. Roldan is out on bail while his kidnapping case is being heard by the Pasig City court.
In his interview recently with ABS CBN, Roldan chose to see his time in jail as an opportunity to study the Bible and get to know God. “I studied the Bible for almost one year, 16 hours a day,” he said. “I wrote a covenant, ’Lord, from this day forward, I am your slave, I will serve you.’ he said. Signing this covenant was the start of his acceptance of God into his life.
“There is something inside the jail that can change you and transform you,” Roldan said.
December 2007, Roldan met with controversy when he was invited to speak at a fellowship of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or ISAFP. He was invited to give an inspirational speech before the ISAFP men during a flag ceremony. He spoke before the assembled military spies as well as the unit’s non uniformed personnel, briefly telling stories about his colorful life and maintaining his innocence in the kidnapping case filed against him.
Anti- kidnapping crusader, Teresita Ang See of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order and Citizen’s Action Against Crime and Corruption, expressed concern over the incident. “It is an insult to our flag and to our Filipino people,” Ang See said.
“I’m still innocent until proven guilty” Roldan said.
Dennis Roldan was giving an exclusive retreat of Manny Pacquiao and wife, Jinkee, this year 2012. Manny agreed to Jinkee’s proposal to start their year with spiritual cleansing. The couple had an exclusive seven-day retreat just for the two of them in their home in GenSan.
Since then, Manny has become a devoted Bible reader and his regular personal pastor is Dennis Roldan who gives them regular Bible studies.
Manny promised to Jinkee that he’ll stop going to casino and also gave away all the cocks he’s taking care of to shun cockfighting. Avoids all night partying to spend more quality time with their children and he’ll no longer be a womanizer.
Roldan vows to serve God. He said it is something that he will carry and nurture to his death.
