Historical timeline and milestones

• Studied BS Community Development in UP Diliman
• Human rights lawyer  
• Associations: 
  • Bayan
  • Philippine Peasant Institute
  • T’bak (member)

As remembered by family and friends

“At the top of a mountain in Cebu after many hours of climbing, Ome paused, stooped on his knees, and tried to catch his breath. Hingal-kabayo, as we say, but he soldiered on kahit hirap. He wasn’t exactly trained for this — hindi nga naman niya talaga trabaho ang umakyat ng bundok at sumama sa paghahanap ng mga nawawalang bangkay. But he happily joined us. That was in 2006, when we at the Peace Advocates for Truth, Healing, and Justice (PATH) went on our quest to locate and exhume the remains of victims of the deadly internal purges committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) against their own members in the 1980s.

Atty. Romeo Dolleton, Omi or Omeng to his friends, was our lawyer when we filed a case against the perpetrators of the communist purge, pro bono. He worked silently but diligently and was unfazed by the extreme difficulty of pursuing such a case, not to mention the inherent danger.

Tahimik na tao, humble pero mahusay. Pangiti-ngiti lang, as we enjoyed our occasional beer and kwentuhan in the middle of preparing and reviewing our documents. “Ang sarap basahin ng affidavit mo, Bobby,” ika niya. “Pangliteratura.” Natuwa naman ako. Lubha kong ikinalungkot ang maaga’t biglaang niyang pagpanaw. Marami pa sana kaming pwedeng pagtulungan, dahil hindi pa rin nga tapos ang laban. Kasamang Omi, pare, ipagpapatuloy namin ang sinimulan natin. Mabuhay ka.” — Robert Francis Garcia, founding chair of the Peace Advocates for Truth, Healing, and Justice (PATH)

******

“I first met Omeng or, as I always called him, Ome, when we were trying to build a social movement program in 2002. I have heard of him as we were both members of T’bak, an organization of activists of the Martial Law period. I also knew of his agrarian reform advocacy and the legal assistance he gave farmers in Laguna. He joined PATH on our first exhumation in 2006 in Cebu City. PATH is a human rights organization with a unique purpose to confront those responsible for non-state human rights violations. Many PATH members are relatives, victims, and former cadres and armed elements of the CPP-NPA. I really admire Ome for his softness, gentleness, conviction for justice, and upholding human rights for all. I remember when he joined our team in scaling a mountain in Cebu City. Despite of his health condition, he trekked and hiked for more than two hours. He is Ome, a people’s lawyer, a lawyer who crossed political boundaries and ideology for the cause of truth, justice, and healing.” — Gil Navarro

******

“Sa biglang tingin, nakakatakot si Omi. Madalang ngumiti, madalas nakakunot ang noo, akala mo parating galit. Pero lagi siyang parang kuya sa akin — maalalahanin, malambing, at very protective, lalo na kung may nagpaparamdam ng ligaw.

Busog ako sa tukso sa kanya. Ang tawagan namin, “panget”. Pero alam ko, mas iniinis niya, mas mahal niya. Kung hindi kasi, hindi ka lang niya pag-aaksayahan ng panahon.

Nung mga taon na magkasama kami ng bahay, siya ang parating nagdadala ng pagkain galing sa kanila sa San Pedro. Kaya kahit hindi siya mahilig kumain (puro yosi), busog naman kami. Maraming beses niya akong ampon sa kanila sa San Pedro ‘pag hindi ako nakakauwi sa amin. Marami kaming naging pagtatalo sa gawain at sa pagtingin sa mga bagay-bagay, pero hanggang sa huli, matibay ang aming pagkakaibigan at mahal namin ang isa’t isa.” — Lot Felizco, ka-batch at kaibigan

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