Court orders arrest of ex-Palawan governor

Former Palawan Governor Joel T. Reyes INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—A judge on Tuesday ordered the arrest of former Palawan Governor Joel T. Reyes, his mayor-brother and a former provincial administrator in connection with last year’s killing of environmentalist-broadcaster Gerardo “Doc Gerry” Ortega here.

Reyes was charged with murder, along with Mayor Mario Reyes of Coron town in northern Palawan, and lawyer Romeo Seratubias, who served as the former governor’s provincial administrator,  following a reinvestigation of the case by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila.

Judge Angelo Arizala of the Palawan  Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued the arrest warrants against them and denied their lawyer’s motion for bail.

Ortega, a staunch critic of  Reyes and incumbent Governor Abraham Kahlil Mitra, was gunned down inside a used clothes store on Jan. 24, 2011. The alleged triggerman, Marlon Recamata, was captured immediately.

In Manila, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima directed the Bureau of Immigration to be on the “lookout” for Reyes, his brother, Seratubias, and his former staff members, Arturo Regalado and Percival Lecias, who were the alleged contacts of Ortega’s killers from Quezon.

“It won’t prevent them from leaving. But at least we would know about their plan to depart from the Philippines,” De Lima said in a text message.

Ortega’s widow, Patria Gloria, expressed relief at Arizala’s issuance of the arrest warrants.

“We have been waiting for this opportunity to face Joel Reyes in court. He has managed to get a pass for over a year because of his sheer clout and influence. We ask him now to submit to the mighty rule of law and face this case squarely,” she said.

Second DOJ panel

On March 13, the DOJ issued a resolution indicting Reyes and the others after a second panel of prosecutors reversed the  finding of a three-member panel and found “probable cause.” It, however, excluded former Marinduque Governor Antonio Carreon from the charge.

A murder case was filed against the former governor and the two others in the Palawan RTC on March 14.

Reyes’ lead counsel, lawyer Demetrio Custodio, had told the Inquirer that he would question the validity of the second DOJ ruling, claiming that the panel “exceeded its authority” in deciding on the case.

Judge Arizala also issued arrest warrants against Rodolfo Edrad Jr., Reyes’ former bodyguard and confessed organizer of the assassination team, and Armando Noel Jr., Arwin Arandia and Dennis Aranas, the alleged lookouts.

Edrad became a lone state witness after surrendering to authorities and confessing to Reyes’ role as mastermind. The former governor has repeatedly denied involvement in the killing.

Lookout bulletin

In her two-page memorandum, De Lima directed Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. “to instruct all immigration officers to be on the lookout for” Reyes and the four others.

She clarified that her “lookout bulletin order” did not prohibit the accused from flying out of the country.

“We will just be alerted or notified by immigration authorities should the subjects show up at an airport or seaport,” she added.

Reached by the Philippine Daily Inquirer Tuesday night, Reyes’ lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio said De Lima’s order would have the same effect as a watch-list order. “It’s the same dog with a different collar,” he said over the phone.

“That order is violative of the constitutional right of my client to travel,” Topacio said. With a report from Marlon Ramos in Manila