Ex-Palawan governor in broadcaster’s slay surrenders

MANILA, Philippines —  Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes, accused as the brains in the 2011 murder of broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega, surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday, according to the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.

The PTFoMS confirmed Reyes’ surrender to the NBI’s National Capital Region office on the night of Sept. 11.

Further details regarding the surrender have yet to be released by the NBI and the task force.

Ortega, a critic of Reyes, was shot and killed on Jan. 24, 2011, in a thrift shop in Puerto Princesa, Palawan after completing his radio program.

The journalist frequently criticized local politicians, including Reyes, whom he accused of corruption and allowing the exploitation of Palawan’s natural resources.

Reyes, who fled the country in 2012 alongside his brother, then-Coron mayor Mario, was apprehended in Thailand in 2015.

In 2018, the Court of Appeals initially ruled in favor of Reyes, but the decision was reversed a year later, leading to the revival of the trial.

The Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Reyes’ re-arrest, stating that lower courts “did not err in holding him accountable for Ortega’s murder.”

The high court also ordered the transfer of Reyes’ trial from Palawan to Quezon City in January 2023, citing security concerns.

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

He is currently confined in a hospital under NBI security, being treated for anemia and an autoimmune disease.

NBI chief Jaime Santiago stated that they are awaiting further court instructions regarding his confinement.