Kin call for swift, fair trial of ex-Palawan governor

MANILA, Philippines — The family of slain broadcaster Gerry Ortega is hoping for a swift and fair trial, following the surrender of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes who is accused of orchestrating the 2011 murder.

In a statement, the Ortega family said they welcome Reyes’ surrender, although they look at it with “cautious optimism.”

“More than 13 years have passed and we have yet to see the swift and fair trial that the overwhelming evidence against the former governor demands,” the family said.

Reyes surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation on Sept. 11, following the July 2023 Supreme Court order for his re-arrest. He is currently confined in a hospital for anemia and an autoimmune disease treatment.

Ortega, a well-known environmentalist and radio broadcaster, was gunned down in Puerto Princesa City in January 2011. In his program, he had often criticized Reyes, accusing him of corruption and environmental destruction in Palawan. Reyes has denied involvement in the killing.

The Ortega family expressed concern about Reyes’ history of evading justice.

“This is part of his fugitive pattern,” the family said, recalling that Reyes fled to Thailand in 2012 and was apprehended only three years later.

The family also criticized Reyes’ candidacy in the 2022 Palawan gubernatorial race, despite his conviction by the Office of the Ombudsman for graft, stating that “he was convicted and should have been automatically disqualified.”

Reyes is also facing separate graft charges related to the alleged misuse of the Malampaya funds.

International press freedom organizations, including Free Press Unlimited, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, have also called for a prompt and impartial trial.

They noted that Ortega’s murder highlights the impunity in media killings in the Philippines.