Slain doctor’s classmates bring calls for justice in social media
ILOILO CITY — Classmates of slain rural physician Dreyfuss Perlas in the West Visayas State University College of Medicine posted individual photographs on social media with signs calling for justice for their colleague.
Members of Batch “Aestimateo Anima” said they were pained that one of their own had fallen.
“We, the Animas, shout out against the senseless killing of our dear Dr. Dreyfuss Perlas, our gentle ‘giant’ who gave our batch our very own name, our identity. May our cry be heard and serve as a burning flame in the search for justice,” they said in a statement.
His batchmates in the Class of 2002 of the University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo (UPHSI) also paid tribute to the slain doctor.
They remembered their six-foot-three-inch classmate as the “guy who did not have to worry about being covered when posing for photographs.”
Article continues after this advertisementThey recalled his infectious laugh and pointed out that he was a member of “Heterogenius 7,” a group who excelled in academics and extra-curricular activities.
Article continues after this advertisementThey lauded his dedication and patriotism in serving communities that needed him most.
“His work was filled with the principles of every noble doctor, every selfless volunteer, every patriotic Filipino. His service was that of empathy, or sincerity, of inclusivity. He reminded us that every person mattered. He helped the system not because he doubted it but because he had faith in it,” the UPHSI Class of 2002 said in a statement read during the memorial program at the West Visayas State University Medical Center chapel on March 5.
A lone gunman shot dead Dreyfuss on March 1 in Kapatagan town in Lanao del Norte. Dreyfuss, municipal health officer of Sapad town in the same province, died from a bullet that hit his back and pierced his heart.
Police have not publicly identified any suspect or revealed the motive behind the killing. SFM