Joel Reyes (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, the alleged mastermind behind the 2011 killing of Puerto Princesa City broadcaster Gerry Ortega, has surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after more than a year on the run from the law.
In a Facebook post, the government’s media security task force said the former governor, through his lawyer, “turned himself in while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Metro Manila” on Sept. 10.
Pending the court decision, Reyes “would remain in the hospital closely guarded by NBI agents,” said Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) executive director Paul Gutierrez, citing a report from NBI director Jaime Santiago.
The NBI did not immediately respond to a request for more information, including Reyes’ whereabouts.
“This a very good development considering that Reyes is among the high-profile suspects in the government’s list of those wanted for the murder of the members of the press,” Gutierrez said.
Pursuit of ‘old cases’
“His decision would not only afford him the opportunity to present his side but also give fresh hope to the Ortega family and other human rights advocates that their quest for justice would not be in vain,” he added.
The official said the PTFoMS would continue its pursuit of “old cases” of media killings, such as the 13-year-old Ortega murder case.
On Jan. 24, 2011, Gerardo “Gerry” Ortega, 47, the anchor of several radio shows, was shot and killed by a lone assailant while shopping in Puerto Princesa City. Marlon Recamata, the alleged gunman, was caught with the help of bystanders but his accomplices escaped.
Recamata later confessed to the killing, saying his group had been hired for the P150,000 hit job by Rodolfo Edrad Jr., a former close-in security escort of Reyes. Edrad also used to be an aide of former Marinduque Gov. Jose Antonio Carreon.
Both Reyes and Carreon denied any involvement in the killing.
READ: SC orders rearrest of former Palawan Governor Reyes over Ortega slay
In February 2011, Ortega’s widow, Patria Gloria, filed a murder complaint against Reyes and his brother Mario, along with 10 others, at the Department of Justice, saying only Reyes had the motive to have her husband killed.
She said her husband had criticized Reyes on his radio show for the latter’s purported inability to stop violations of environmental law by mining companies in Palawan.
In March 2012, a Puerto Princesa court ordered the arrest of the Reyes brothers but they fled to Vietnam six days later. The pair were arrested in Phuket, Thailand, in September 2015, and deported to Manila for violating Thai immigration laws.
In January 2018, Reyes was released from jail after the Court of Appeals (CA) upheld his petition questioning the merit of the trial. But the appellate court reversed that decision on Nov. 28, 2019.
As a result, in a March 29, 2023 resolution, the Supreme Court ordered the Regional Trial Court Branch 52 of Puerto Princesa City to issue a warrant of arrest against Reyes and to resume his trial. But the former governor had avoided arrest until Tuesday.
In a separate resolution dated Dec. 4, 2023, the Supreme Court granted Reyes’ motion to transfer the venue of his trial from Puerto Princesa City to Quezon City. The case is now in the courtroom of Judge Renato Pambid of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 76.
Cautious optimism
In a statement, the Ortega family said it welcomed Reyes’ arrest as “an important step in the long-overdue pursuit of justice for our beloved Doc Gerry Ortega.”
“However, our optimism remains cautious. More than 13 years have passed, and we have yet to see the swift and fair trial that the overwhelming evidence against the former governor demands,” the family said.
“We remember that Reyes evaded justice for over a year after the warrant was reissued—resurfacing only when it suited him. This is part of his fugitive pattern: he previously fled to Thailand and hid there for years using a fake passport,” it said, adding: “This is a man who wields power to his advantage, yet plays the victim when the wheels of justice turn against him.”
“We urge our government to uphold fairness and accountability, as the failure to do so would only embolden those in power to silence voices like Doc Gerry’s. He was not only a beloved father and husband but also a fearless radio broadcaster, environmentalist, and anti-corruption advocate—embodying the values we Filipinos aspire to live by,” the family said.
Three international press freedom organizations issued a joint call for a swift trial.
“This is long overdue. [Reyes] has evaded justice for more than 13 years, there must be a swift and impartial trial now without any further delay,” Free Press Unlimited, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We hope this new development brings justice a step closer for the Ortega family and call on the Philippine authorities to do everything they can to ensure justice is delivered for this senseless murder,” it said.
The coalition said it had been investigating Ortega’s case since 2020, and even met with the authorities in Manila earlier this year to present new clues that could lead to Reyes’ arrest.
“The international community will be watching the trial closely, as the Ortega murder is emblematic of the entrenched impunity in media killings in the Philippines,” it said in the joint statement.
Between 1992 and 2024, a total of 96 journalists were killed in the country in connection with their work, the coalition said. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH