MANILA, Philippines - Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother former Coron mayor Mario Reyes will be deported to the country this week following their arrest in Thailand, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima bared yesterday.
De Lima said the arrival of the Reyes brothers, both accused in the killing of environmentalist and radio broadcaster Gerry Ortega in 2011, has been tentatively set for tomorrow.
“The Thai authorities are now in the process of deporting them. Once they arrive, they would be received by the Philippine National Police (PNP),” she told reporters.
She said the fugitives would then be presented to Judge Angelo Arizala of the Puerto Princesa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 52, who will decide where the two will be detained.
The Reyeses were arrested in Phuket last Sunday night for violation of immigration laws.
Prior to the killing, Ortega was a vocal critic of local officials for their alleged misuse of funds derived from the operation of the Malampaya gas field in Palawan.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said the government could also invoke a 1981 Treaty between the Philippines and Thailand to extradite the Reyes brothers.
“There is an extradition treaty in force between the Philippines and Thailand which was ratified in 1981. The Philippine can seek the extradition of the Reyes brothers on the basis of this treaty in order to facilitate the immediate resolution of the Ortega case,” Drilon said.
The treaty clearly specifies that the two countries “agree to extradite to each other, in the circumstance and subject to the conditions described in this treaty, persons found in its territory who are being proceeded against or who have been charged with, found guilty or convicted of, any of the crimes” covered under the treaty.
Drilon said that crimes specified under the treaty include the killing or causing death to another person, abduction, kidnapping, corruption and crimes against the laws relating to narcotics, firearms and explosives.
With the arrest of the Reyes brothers, Palawan Bishop Pedro Arigo urged authorities not to allow legal impediments to delay the resolution of the Ortega murder case.
Arigo said that he is not discounting the possibility that the accused might be given special treatment once they return to the country since they are personalities and might still have some clout.
“They should be treated like other suspects. There is still a long legal process… I hope that they would speed up the process and not allow that it will go through a lot of legal technicalities. I am hoping that the trial would be just and fair,” said Arigo.
He believed getting caught gives the opportunity to the accused to face the accusations against them. – With Christina Mendez, Evelyn Macairan