DOJ urged to probe Mercado’s connection with Reyeses

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate former Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado for his involvement with brothers Joel and Mario Reyes, the suspected masterminds in the murder of environmentalist and broadcaster Gerry Ortega in 2011.

Mercado was cited in reports as among the persons the brothers communicated with while they were in hiding.

“The DOJ must immediately look into the possible involvement of Ernesto Mercado in allegedly hiding the suspects in the Gerry Ortega murder case,” Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesman for media affairs said. He asked the DOJ to drop Mercado from the Witness Protection Program.

Mercado is the main witness against Binay in the Senate investigation over the alleged overpricing of some infrastructure projects in Makati.

“If indeed true, as reported by a Philippine National Police source quoted by Philippine STAR, Mr. Mercado should be dropped from the Witness Protection Program and face the consequences of his illicit act,” Quicho said.

According to The STAR report, among the monitored calls of the Reyes brothers were to a wife, a resort owner named Teddy Teontangco, a fishing magnate based in Navotas and Mercado, who also owns a resort and a cockpit in Palawan.

Thai authorities arrested the Reyes brothers in Phuket, Thailand last month following information received by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.