Aide yields, ex-gov in Ortega slay still a fugitive

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines—One of the key suspects in last year’s murder of Palawan broadcaster and environmentalist Dr. Gerry Ortega surrendered to the police Wednesday night, authorities said Thursday.

Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn and city police chief Supt. Abad Osit announced Thursday morning the surrender of Arturo “Nonoy” Regalado, the personal aide of former Governor Joel T. Reyes, the alleged mastermind in the Ortega killing who has gone into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued against him by the court.

“(Regalado) gave himself up to the combined team of city PNP (Philippine National Police) operatives and members of the Special Operations Group somewhere in Malate (Manila) Wednesday night around 11:30 p.m.,” Hagedorn said.

In a text message to reporters, Philippine National Police spokesman, Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said elements of Police Regional Office 4-B and the special operations group confirmed that Regalado surrendered along Leon Guinto Street in Malate, Manila, around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, accompanied by his two sisters-in-law.

Regalado, a former employee at the Capitol here, has been tagged by investigators as the main contact for the group of hired killers from Pagbilao, Quezon, who performed the hit on Ortega last Jan. 24, 2011 inside a used clothing store in this city.

Regalado presented himself to the National Bureau of Investigation in Palawan the day after Ortega was shot and asked to be placed under voluntary custody, executing an affidavit that implicated Reyes as the mastermind behind the killing.

Regalado said he was the one who facilitated the firearms to be used. He said they were owned by provincial administrator Romeo Seratubias, who was arrested last month by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Puerto Princesa City.

Chief Superintendent Artemio Hicban, Mimaropa police regional director, said Regalado will be turned over to them later this day.

In his affidavit, Regalado narrated his role in coordinating with Rodolfo Edrad Jr., Reyes’ former bodyguard who had recruited Marlon Recamata and two other companions from Pagbilao, Quezon to kill Ortega.

Edrad, also known as Bumar, is currently under the state protection program of the Department of Justice and is the government’s lone state witness against Reyes.

Regalado, however, recanted his affidavit when he suddenly left the NBI custody and went to Manila supposedly to participate in the initial preliminary investigation of the case. He later issued another affidavit before the first panel of prosecutors at the DoJ, denying participation in the murder.

The police had said that Regalado served as the main contact of the group of confessed gunman Recamata who arrived in Puerto Princesa less than a week before Ortega was shot.

Hagedorn added that another Reyes aide, Val Lecias, also a suspect in the case, “has extended surrender feelers” to the pursuing operatives.

“He (Lecias) might also come out very soon,” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, Hagedorn said authorities were validating reports that Reyes and his brother, Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, also an accused in the Ortega murder case and in hiding, have left the Philippines through Zamboanga in Mindanao and into Kuday, Malaysia.

“This is just an unverified report but I understand the police are investigating it,” Hagedorn said.