Dr. Oliver “Doc Ogie” Gimenez is not an ordinary doctor. He is among the few community doctors who have chosen to stay in the country to serve the poor in remote areas. For his service, he was branded a communist and charged with fabricated cases of multiple frustrated murder and murder.
BY TERENCE KRISHNA V. LOPEZ
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Contributor
Bulatlat
Dr. Oliver “Doc Ogie” Gimenez is not an ordinary doctor. He is among the few community doctors who have chosen to stay in the country to serve the poor in remote areas. For his service, he was branded a communist and charged with fabricated cases of multiple frustrated murder and murder.
The frustrated multiple murder charge was filed by Police Chief Inspector Fermin D. Armendarez of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG- Region 7) at the prosecutor’s office in Dumaguete City. The murder case was filed at Bayawan City in Negros Oriental by Chief of Police Mario Rivera Jungco.
In both cases, Doc Ogie is being labeled as a communist rebel, implicating him in alleged encounters between the New People’s Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In a recent interview with Bulatlat, Doc Ogie disclosed how these charges affect him, as a medical practitioner. He is also the executive director of the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET).
Undeterred
Still routinely performing his tasks and responsibilities as the head of CERNET, Doc Ogie said the current persecution he is experiencing strengthened his convictions as a development worker.
“When I started practicing as a community doctor, I already knew that there are risks working for the disempowered and marginalized sectors and I knew that being persecuted by the military is one of those risks,” Doc Ogie said.
However, Doc Ogie said, although he was always half-expecting harassments and threats from the military, he wasn’t expecting this much. In fact, he is already thinking that “the possibility of abduction and even extra-judicial killing is not remote, knowing it is the AFP that is behind these false charges.”
The complaint on multiple frustrated murder against him has been arraigned last February 12 in the hall of justice in Dumaguete City. Although Doc Ogie was not able to attend the arraignment as advised by his counsel, he was glad that his colleagues attended to show support.
The first hearing for the murder case is scheduled on March 16.
