EDITORIAL - Looking for the 'Big 5'

Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes is believed to have left the country for Vietnam. Reyes, wanted together with his brother, Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, for the murder of environmental advocate and broadcaster Gerry Ortega, reportedly used a fake passport under the name of Joseph Lim Pe, which was issued on Feb. 3.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has canceled the passport and alerted Philippine missions abroad. The Bureau of Immigration is also investigating possible lapses at the airport that allowed the two brothers to leave for Vietnam last March 18.

Joel and Mario Reyes are among the so-called “Big 5” fugitives in a list drawn up by the Philippine National Police. The others are retired Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, dubbed “the butcher” by human rights groups; Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr., who is wanted for murdering his wife; and Globe Asiatique real estate developer Delfin Lee, wanted for syndicated estafa involving P7 billion in fraudulent housing loans.

The Bureau of Immigration alerted its personnel nationwide last Aug. 1 to be on the lookout for the Big 5. Lee is reportedly still in the country. Palparan, wanted for the kidnapping and torture of two University of the Philippines coeds, is suspected to be enjoying the protection of certain elements in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Ecleo was a cult leader before being elected to Congress, and still has his sympathizers.

With the possible exception of Mayor Mario Reyes, the fugitives are all high-profile personalities, their images widely disseminated through mainstream and social media. Their photos are supposed to be prominently displayed in police stations and immigration counters all over the country. Yet they remain free and, as the Reyes brothers demonstrated, are capable of leaving the country using assumed names.

The use of passports under different names is among the most troubling aspects of this case. Authorities must ferret out the source of the documents and see to it that the illegal operation is stopped. The nation already has enough problems with its porous local jails and national prisons. Master forgers of passports and immigration personnel who are either incompetent or corrupt can only make matters worse. If the top five fugitives remain at large, one of the biggest reasons has to be the lack of interest in catching them.