People’s funeral held for slain Palawan broadcaster

ABORLAN, Palawan – One by one, friends and family bid a tearful goodbye to hard-hitting broadcaster Gerardo Ortega in his hometown Sunday, almost a week after he was gunned down in Puerto Princesa City last Jan. 24. Early in the morning, his flag-draped coffin was transferred from the Ortega family home to the municipal gym, where the necrological services and mass were held before the burial. Thousands of mourners, many of them wearing black T-shirts with the words “Justice for Doc Gerry Ortega," packed the open gymnasium and spilled into the tree-lined streets outside. Aside from his part-time work as a radio commentator, Ortega was a wildlife veterinarian best known as the director of the crocodile farm in Palawan for many years, and also a well-loved civic and church leader. He also served as board member of Palawan for three years, from 2001 to 2004. During his tenure, he exposed several questionable government transactions and was often the lone opposition member in the local legislature. At the time he was killed, Ortega was the program officer of the ABS-CBN Foundation in Palawan, helping launch livelihood projects for local communities in ecotourism. His boss Gina Lopez exhorted the mourners to honor Ortega’s memory by joining the campaign to solicit 10 million signatures nationwide to pressure President Aquino to stop mining operations in Palawan, one of Ortega’s major concerns in recent years. His eldest daughter recounted that when her father ran for governor in 2004, he would often tell her that “there was no other place like Palawan" after going around the province during the campaign. Palawan is known worldwide for its wealth of natural wonders, which are facing threats from destructive activities such as mining and unregulated tourism development. “Proud ako na tatay ko si Gerry Ortega," she said, but added, “Sana lahat tayo magpakabayani para wala nang mawalan ng tatay tulad namin." Clad in white T-shirts, Ortega’s wife Patty and their five children stood at the stage after the mass to thank the huge crowd of mourners, a sight rarely seen in the sleepy southern municipality. Patty expressed hope that her husband’s death would “light a candle" in the hearts of Palawan residents who are concerned about the erosion of the once peaceful and laidback lifestyle in the province. Ortega's killing, the second high-profile murder in Puerto Princesa City in five years, has polarized the residents of the popular tourist destination. Until now, the 2006 murder of popular broadcaster Fernando “Dong" Batul has remained unresolved. This time around, Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn promised to the crowd gathered here: “Siguradong makakasuhan ang lahat ng may kinalaman dito, hanggang sa mastermind." Charges have been filed against five people, including a former provincial administrator, in the killing of Ortega. In the 2010 elections, Ortega had campaigned aggressively for businessman Jose Alvarez, who lost the gubernatorial seat to Gov. Abraham Mitra. Ortega had been critical of Mitra, former Gov. Joel Reyes, and other officials whom he accused of squandering the natural wealth share of the province in the Malampaya natural gas reserves. The officials have repeatedly denied the allegations. Palawan Bishop Pedro Arigo led the procession to the slain broadcaster’s final resting place shortly before sunset. Thousands of mourners joined the two-kilometer march from the gym, part of it on a dusty and rock-strewn dirt road leading to the cemetery. Most of them were barrio folk wearing slippers, with a few hundred guests from Puerto Princesa and Manila. In keeping with his simple lifestyle, Ortega was buried at the Aborlan public cemetery at 5 p.m. – KBK, GMANews.TV