‘Text’ ties Palawan ex-governor to Ortega slay

“Sana pag-uwi ko ay tapos na ang problema” (I hope when I get home, the problem would be over.)

“OK po”

“Ingat” (Take care.)

Rodolfo Edrad Jr. disclosed the text message he received from former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and the ensuing exchange of replies sometime in January last year, before Gerardo “Doc Gerry” Ortega, a popular radio broadcaster and environmentalist, was shot and killed in Puerto Princesa City.

Saying his string of text messages to Edrad indicated guilt, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday reversed a previous decision and recommended the filing of murder charges against Reyes, along with four more people, for the killing of Ortega on Jan. 24, 2011.

The DOJ said Edrad allegedly procured the services of the gunman and his associates and, in an extrajudicial confession, told the National Bureau of Investigation that Reyes and his brother, Coron Mayor Mario Reyes Jr., funded the operation to kill Ortega, including providing the reward money and hideouts.

In a 28-page resolution dated March 12, 2012, but released only Tuesday, a panel of state prosecutors said that Reyes’ mayor-brother, Palawan Administrator Romeo Seratubias, Arturo Regalado and Valentin Lecias should also be charged with murder after finding “probable cause.”

It affirmed the previous panel’s finding of probable cause against Edrad, Armando R. Noel, Dennis C. Aranas and Arwin L. Arandia, but found not enough evidence to include former Marinduque Governor Jose Antonio Carreon in the complaint.

The prosecutors saw Ortega’s criticisms on air against Reyes as motive to have the victim “silenced.”

The DOJ is set to file the charges in the Puerto Princesa regional trial court.

Ortegas’ remarks

When reached by the Philippine Daily Inquirer in the Palawan capital, the victim’s family said it was “grateful and relieved that the DOJ finally decided to file the case against our former governor and his cohorts.

“It is just the start of a much longer wait until we get justice and punish the guilty. To former governor Joel Reyes, you have enjoyed your pass for too long. You have to face the music in court,” said Ortega’s widow, Patria Gloria.

The Inquirer tried to get a reaction from Reyes through his spokesperson on the case, Palawan Board Member Rolando Bonoan, but received no reply.

Palawan Governor Abraham Kahlil Mitra, a political ally of Reyes and one of those who testified in his favor during the preliminary investigation, also did not issue any statement.

The prosecution panel noted that based on cell-phone records submitted by Globe Telecoms, Reyes was in contact with him from December 2010 up to January 2011. Reyes had earlier claimed that he was not closely associated with Edrad and even denied his application as close-in security.

Text messages

According to the resolution, Reyes sent 27 text messages in January 2011 and 16 out of 84 text messages on Jan. 24, 2011, the day Ortega was gunned down.

“It is very obvious that (Reyes) knew and was in constant communication with respondent Edrad, as shown by repeated and regular text messages he sends the latter not only on the months immediately prior to the assassination of the victim, but on the day of the murder itself,” it said.

“Moreover, the importance of their communication is bolstered by the fact that in spite of the special rates and/or higher rates of sending text messages from abroad, they still communicated with each other as in the case of (Reyes), since he was out of the country when some of the text messages were sent to respondent Edrad.”

Edrad said he sent a text message to Reyes and asked for money as he and two associates fled to Lucena City in Quezon province. The former governor asked where he was and Edrad replied that he was in Lucena.

Hiding in Quezon

Edrad said he hid in Lopez town, also in Quezon, the following day and asked Reyes:

“Ano po ang dapat kong gawin, wanted na po ako? (What should I do? I’m already a wanted man?)”

Reyes reportedly replied: “Abogado magaling (Lawyer is good).”

The prosecutors also noted that the Reyeses admitted that Edrad went to Mayor Reyes’ home in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City to receive money. The mayor “handed him money and it was done in the sanctity of his house in the middle of the night,” they said.

“Under the circumstances, the statements of respondents (Reyes brothers) are unreliable since they run contrary to human experience,” the DOJ panel said.

“It is unusual for someone to give money to somebody unfamiliar to them, or for someone to invite another person to the privacy of his house and provide the latter money as ‘financial assistance,’ if that person is not familiar and trustworthy,” it added.

Close contact

“(Reyes’) close communication with (Edrad) during this period would excite a reasonable mind that he is involved in the murder of the victim since (Edrad) is the only link to the group (of the gunman) who admitted to have received considerable money from Edrad,” the resolution said.

“It is hard to imagine that the said money came from the pockets of Edrad, given his financial status and the fact that he has no motive to kill the victim, unless he is induced by another person who has the financial capability  to shell out that amount of money and that he has motive to have the victim killed,” it said.

“In this case, respondent (Reyes) has both,” the resolution said.

The Ortegas’ main counsel, Alex Avisado, expressed relief at the DOJ resolution, saying the panel members “have shown a great measure of independence and integrity in resolving this case. It surely brings us closer to our quest to seek justice for … Ortega and send the masterminds to jail.”

“We have a strong case. This is one of the rare cases of media killing that has a good chance of seeing successful prosecution in court,” said Michaella, the victim’s eldest daughter. With a report from Redempto D. Anda, Inquirer Southern Luzon