DOJ will fight bid to ‘derail,’ ‘delay’ Reyeses’ arraignment on Friday

THE Palawan Regional Trial Court Branch 52 has set the arraignment for murder of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother, former Coron town mayor Mario Reyes, on Friday morning.

Lawyer Lilibeth Laurente, clerk of court of the Puerto Princesa City Branch 52, said the arraignment of the Reyes brothers is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on October 2.

The Reyes brothers have been charged with murder for the death of broadcaster and environmentalist Dr. Gerry Ortega in 2011.

The two fled the country a few days before the court ordered their arrest.

Last week, they were arrested by Thai authorities and deported to the country last Friday.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the government will fight every attempt to derail and delay the arraignment.

“Kung may attempts on the part of the accused thru their counsels para ma-derail, ma-delay, ma-postpone yung arraignment, our guidance is that the handling prosecutor should oppose it,” de Lima told reporters Monday.

De Lima added that the Court of Appeals ruling nullifying the creation of a panel of investigators that filed the case against the two will not delay the arraignment of the brothers.

“Maski nga titingnan nyo yung resolution ng Court of Appeals, even if they nullified the creation of the panel, you will notice na merong categorical explicit declaration doon na hindi nila maaaring pakialaman yung kaso na nasa [Palawan] RTC,” de Lima said.

De Lima was referring to the two separate rulings of the Court of Appeals in 2013 that nullified the body created to investigate the involvement of the Reyes brothers in the death of Ortega and reinstating the ruling of the first panel finding no probable cause to charge them with murder. Tetch Torres-Tupas

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