Ex-Palawan governor questions new probe on Ortega slay

MANILA, Philippines - Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes has questioned the move of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reinvestigate him for the killing of broadcaster Gerry Ortega last Jan. 24, saying he was already vindicated by the findings of the first investigating team.

“The reinvestigation of the case in order to examine additional evidence, my lawyers believe, will not change the outcome of the case. The evidence being presented is clearly unconstitutional and violative of my civil rights,” Reyes said in a statement, through his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

The former governor said he would take legal actions against those who would participate in the reinvestigation.

“We shall file disbarment proceedings against the lawyers responsible for the unethical conduct of foisting upon the Department of Justice evidence, which are clearly at war with the Bill of Rights,” he said.

DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday ordered the reinvestigation of the complaint against Reyes and his co-accused, “to address the offer of additional evidence by the complainants, which was denied by the former panel in its resolution of Sept. 2, 2011.”

De Lima also created a new investigating panel composed of Assistant State Prosecutors Stewart Allan Mariano, Vimar Barcellano and Gerard Gaerlan.

Reyes said the resolution released by a panel composed of Senior State Prosecutor Edwin Dayog and Assistant State Prosecutors Bryan Jacinto Cacha and John Benedict Medina, which said there is no ample basis to indict him and his co-accused for murder, should have already cleared of any liability.

“With this resolution of the justice department, I hope that the people of Palawan can move on, and that we can embark on an honest-to-goodness search for the real mastermind in this case, so that true justice can be done. In this endeavor, I join the ranks of all those who are after genuine justice and the unvarnished truth, shorn of politics and personal enmity,” Reyes said.

“We know that the search for vindication is a long and uphill battle, as those who want to destroy my name and reputation will stop at nothing, and will spare no expense, in order to continue this pathetic campaign of vilification against me for their own selfish political purposes. To them, I say, the truth will always come out in the end, and that the people will always know who is telling the truth and who are fabricating lies. Indeed, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time,” he added.

Ortega was murdered in Palawan while buying clothes in an ukay-ukay store.