Church joins outrage on Ortega case

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—The Catholic Church in Palawan has joined the call for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to allow the murder case against former Governor Joel T. Reyes for the killing of broadcaster Dr. Gerry Ortega to be filed in court.

In a pastoral letter released Thursday, Bishop Pedro Arigo criticized a DOJ panel’s ruling to exonerate Reyes and several others in the murder case as “a graver insult to an already grave injury.”

He also called on Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to reverse the decision.

“There are quite a number of legal considerations that put into question the credibility of the DOJ decision and unless this is reversed, our people will completely lose their trust in our judicial system,” Arigo said in his pastoral letter.

The letter will be read in all Palawan Catholic churches on Sunday.

The prelate also urged De Lima, who had inhibited from the case citing previous association with the accused mastermind, to reverse the panel’s ruling.

“The reality is that she (De Lima) has remained at the helm during the course of the preliminary investigation and is ultimately responsible. In her doorsteps still lay the responsibility to right what is wrong and ensure a fair determination of this case,” the pastoral letter read.

A three-man DOJ panel which conducted a preliminary investigation on the murder complaint filed by the Ortega family against Reyes earlier ruled that there was no “probable cause” to indict Reyes despite the confession made by his former security aide, Rodolfo Edrad Jr.

Patria Gloria, the widow of the slain broadcaster, has appealed the DOJ ruling, as media groups in Palawan led by the Alyansa ng Palawenyong Mamamahayag and the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines held rallies in Puerto Princesa City last week.

Edrad had surrendered to authorities following the Ortega killing and confessed to have organized the team of hired killers who assassinated Ortega on Jan. 24, allegedly on orders of Reyes.