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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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Monday, March 6, 2017
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MANILA – Senators condemned the killing of Dreyfuss Perlas, a rural physician who formerly volunteered for the government’s “Doctors to the Barrios” program.
Thirty-one-year-old Perlas, a native of Aklan, was shot dead on Wednesday night while riding his motorbike in Brgy. Maranding Annex by still unidentified gunmen.
He was on his way home from a medical mission in Sapad town, Lanao del Norte.
Sen. Richard Gordon called on the authorities to immediately solve Perla’s death and bring his killers to justice.
“I strongly condemn the killing of Dr. Perlas who was a humanitarian worker. I urge the authorities to immediately solve his killing so that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. I am outraged that a doctor who is serving the community is killed like this,” Gordon said.
“He was a good man and a dedicated doctor who was not afraid to serve even in areas where no one dares to work. Rest assured that his killers will not be able to evade the long arm of the law,” he added.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, for her part, asked the health sector to express its “strong indignation” for the murder of Perlas.
The Akeanon physician, who completed his Medicine degree at the West Visayas State University in Iloilo City, belonged to the 30th batch of the Department of Health’s “Doctors to the Barrios” program.
The program sends medical practitioners to doctor-less municipalities to provide accessible and quality health care service.
In 2013, Perlas also served as a volunteer doctor for the Philippine Red Cross during the Zamboanga Siege.
“The current climate of violence under the Duterte government poses a serious threat to the people’s access to public health, and a mortal danger to the lives of health workers. We cannot allow this climate to continue unchanged,” Hontiveros said.
Earlier, Sen. Ralph Recto urged the Philippine National Police to find Perlas’ killers.
As doctors pledge to “do no harm” to their patients, the government should also ensure the same protection applies to them, he said.
“We therefore owe, it not only to Dr. Perlas, but to his colleagues who form the rural health corps, the thousands of underpaid, overworked government doctors, nurses, midwives who are in the frontline of the war against diseases, that justice be served.”/PN
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