Kin still seeking justice a year after barrio doc’s killing

Dreyfuss Perlas

ILOILO CITY — The family of slain rural doctor, Dreyfuss Perlas, is still seeking justice, a year after he was murdered in Lanao del Norte province.

“We are losing hope. There has been no indication that the suspected gunman will be arrested,” Perlas’ father, Dennis, told the Inquirer on Wednesday.

Dennis, a town councilor of Batan in Aklan province, appealed to law enforcement agencies and the government to work harder in finding and arresting his son’s killer and other people behind the murder.

Seeking help

“Please help us in finding and apprehending my son’s killers,” he said.

“The [suspected killers of overseas Filipino worker Joanna Demafelis] have already been arrested. But here in our country the police have not arrested the killer of my son after one year,” Dennis added.

On his first death anniversary on Thursday, Perlas’ relatives and friends are attending Mass at 6 a.m. in Batan, before visiting his tomb at the municipal cemetery. They will proceed to the town hall where they will be joined by local officials for breakfast.

Outcry

On March 1 last year, a man shot Perlas, 31, while he was on his way home in Kapatagan town, Lanao del Norte. The bullet pierced his heart, killing Perlas, who was serving as municipal health officer of Sapad in the same province.

Perlas’ death provoked an outcry because he was one of the few volunteer doctors who opted to stay in his area of assignment after his contract under the Department of Health’s (DOH) Doctors to the Barrios program ended.

A woman and three men were earlier named in a criminal complaint filed by the police in relation to Perlas’ killing. Only Nabil Banding, however, was charged.

Cash reward

The Lanao del Norte police earlier described Banding as a former security guard who was hired by people who had a personal grudge against Perlas.

The Lanao del Norte provincial government earlier offered a P150,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved in the doctor’s murder.

Perlas, who finished his undergraduate degree at the University of the Philippines Los Baños in Laguna province, was conferred the “Bayani ng Kalusugan” award by the DOH for his service to the community.