Reyes brods dared to face raps

MANILA, Philippines - Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother Coron Mayor Mario Reyes were dared yesterday to come out of hiding.

Speaking to reporters in Makati, Patricia Gloria Ortega, widow of murdered environmental activist-radio journalist Gerry Ortega, said the Reyes brothers should show themselves if they believe the Court of Appeals (CA) has cleared them of criminal charges.

“Come out and surrender to the court, that’s where you can prove that you have nothing to do with my husband’s murder,” she said. “Your continued disappearance is only a sign of admission of guilt.”

Mrs. Ortega also dared Ferdinand Topacio, the lawyer of the Reyes brothers, to produce his clients.

“Attorney Topacio, if you really believe that your clients are innocent of the charges, then you should exert everything and ask them to surface and face the charges,” she said.

Mrs. Ortega accused Topacio of spreading misinformation about the CA ruling.

“We entertained the thought that our efforts of finding justice for the past 22 months had all been for naught as we were initially led to believe that the warrants of arrest against the Reyes brothers had been quashed and that the two will surface soon,” she said.