Gerardo Valeriano Ortega DVM, better known simply as "Doc Gerry" or "Ka Gerry," was a Filipino journalist, veterinarian, politician, environmental activist, and community organizer best known for his work to promote crocodile farming in the Philippines and for his advocacy against mining on the island of Palawan.
20 Facts About Gerry Ortega
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Gerry Ortega was born on August 28,1963, to Rafael "Totoy" Gerry Ortega, who was the municipal mayor of Aborlan, in the island province of Palawan.
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Gerry Ortega earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation near Manila.
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The eldest, Mika Gerry Ortega, worked as an Information, education, and communication officer of ABS-CBN Foundation's Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig.
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Gerry Ortega was a devout Roman Catholic and was one of the local leaders of the Catholic group, Couples for Christ, in Palawan.
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In 1988, Gerry Ortega began working at the Crocodile Farming Institute in Irawan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
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Gerry Ortega resigned from his post at Crocodile Farm in time to run for a position in the Provincial Board of Palawan during the elections of 2001.
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In 2004, Gerry Ortega ran for Governor of Palawan, under a good governance platform where he lost to Governor Reyes.
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Sometime later that year, the ABS-CBN Foundation recruited Gerry Ortega to become project director of Bantay Kalikasan-Palawan.
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Gerry Ortega explained the way these projects were structured to Philippine Star journalist Faizza Farinna Tanggol on January 22,2011:.
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Gerry Ortega was getting ready to travel to Manila for the launching of the Ten Million Signatures Campaign for the banning of mining operations in the province of Palawan when he was assassinated.
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At around 10:30 in the morning of January 24,2011, Gerry Ortega had just finished broadcasting on his morning show "Ramatak" for Radyo Mo Nationwide's Palawan station dwAR-FM, and was supposed to prepare for a scheduled journey to Manila to promote the Ten Million Signatures campaign.
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Gerry Ortega stopped at an "ukay-ukay" thrift store in Puerto Princesa.
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Gerry Ortega was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to reclusion perpetua.
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Gerry Ortega confessed to the crime at the Puerto Princesa Police Office.
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Meanwhile, the family of Gerry Ortega pressed the DOJ for a review by the first panel.
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Gerry Ortega claimed he drove the Reyes brothers to the airport and that Bureau of Immigration officials assisted with their flight to Vietnam.
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Gerry Ortega claimed he drove their attorney, Hermie Aban, to the airport who was the friend of the immigration officials.
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Gerry Ortega testified that his employer, the then governor and his brother, paid him P500,000.
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The court ruling said that the Palawan Regional Trial Court had no basis to hold him for trial over the murder of broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega and deemed him a free man.