Rogelio P. Peñera

Rogelio Pacayra Peñera, M. D.

"Bobot"

PSHS Batch 1981

Birth: January 3, 1964

Place: Davao City

Death: June 24, 2009

Place: Davao City

Dr. Rogelio Pacayra Peñera was born on January 3, 1964 in Davao City. He spent his early years in San Roque Elementary School in Bo. Obrero, Davao City. He entered PSHS in 1977 and belonged to the graduating class of 1981. “Bobot” to his high school mates & co-dormers, he was active in volleyball, softball, and dorm activities and was one of the MPs.

He took up BS Biology at the Ateneo de Davao University from 1981-1985. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree at the Davao Medical School Foundation in 1989 and passed the Medical Board Exam in August 1990. He took up his Masters in Public Health at UP College of Public Health from 1997-1998.

Photos

Articles and Documents

Articles on his work on dengue in Southern Mindanao and the A(H1N1) virus

News article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

News article in the Philippine Star

PSHSNAA statement via pisaydiliman.multiply.com

Dr. Rogelio Peñera: Marking the 2nd anniversary of the killing of an activist doctor in Arkibongbayan.org

Note

The contents of this page are based on write-ups and photos submitted by the honoree's batch mates, as well as information available in the public domain. For corrections or inclusion of additional material, kindly contact the volunteer organizers via pagpugay.pahingalay@gmail.com

He was a resident physician of St. Luke’s Medical Clinic in Davao City prior to joining the Department of Health as Provincial Health Officer in 1991. He would later be a Medical Specialist of the DOH RFO XI, then the Chief of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (Resu) in Southern Mindanao in 2002. He was in fact the Team Head of the influenza A (H1N1) information drive and updates in Davao City at the time of his death. Bobot was one of the few doctors trained to handle and monitor possible outbreaks of AH1N1, dengue, malaria and other diseases known to afflict depressed communities.

In an article published July 4, 2009 in the online Philippine news site Bulatlat, Peñera was also cited as a board member of the United Integrated Health Services Foundation (UIHSF), a group of health professionals, as well as being a council member of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan). While being a government physician, Peñera was active in opposing government programs that could limit people’s access to health, including the privatization of government hospitals and the streamlining of government bureaucracy that limits the number of health workers.

Dr. Rogelio “Bong” Peñera was killed on June 24, 2009 in an ambush by unidentified armed men while on his way home after fetching his daughter from school at PSHS Southern Mindanao Campus. His 15-year-old daughter, Lianne, was wounded in the attack.

A case has been filed in court but, to date, has remained unresolved. He left behind his wife Dr. Marianila Peñera and their only child, Lianne Ivana.

His death has been noted by cause-oriented groups in Mindanao as an extrajudicial killing conducted under the auspices of the infamous Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL) militarist program under then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, wherein this U.S.-directed counterinsurgency scheme illegally extended to killing activists from legitimate people’s organizations and advocates of patriotic causes. In a statement released by the PSHS National Alumni Association (PSHSNAA) condemning his death, Dr Penera was regarded as likely the highest public official to fall victim to the series of OBL-related extrajudicial killings. Until now, justice for Dr. Peñera remains elusive.

In an editorial of a local newspaper in Davao City at the time of his death, it honored him with these good words:

“NEVER has anyone's death been met by a big question mark than that of Dr. Rogelio "Bong" Peñera, a quiet, intelligent, hardworking, and dedicated medical worker who is in the forefront of delivering medical services, wherever the patient may be. That's him Doc Bong.

“Never has anyone's death also raised the ante for pushing for real crime solution from those mandated to do this: the police.

“For so long we have allowed the police, the investigators to get away with speculative remarks along the line of being "drug-related" or "gang-related" and have allowed yet another death statistic to slip through our collective memories just, content with the police force's admission of helplessness because of lack of witnesses.

“And then, there's Doc Bong. Drug-related? Gang-related? God forbid. But everyone who knew him -- from the lowly barangay resident who has at one time of another been one of the beneficiaries of a free clinic, to a civic organization who regards the doctor as among the easiest to drag along for free clinics, to his co-workers, and his colleagues in the various organizations he has left his quiet mark in -- will be ready to scalp anyone who will say that of him. Doc Bong for them is this quiet government worker who lived up to the Hippocratic Oath up to his very last day on earth.…”

- write up submitted by PSHS Batch 1981

Graduation picture scanned from the

PSHS Batch 1981 yearbook