Philippine brothers 'Reyes' wanted in Ortega killing arrested in Bangkok

[webfact]

Reyes brothers in Ortega killing arrested in Bangkok

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines — Former Palawan governor Joel T. Reyes and his brother Mario were arrested by the police in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday, according to a police source.

The source, an official of Task Force Usig, the tracker group assigned to catch big fugitives, said the Reyes brothers had long been wanted for the slay of Palawan environmentalist and journalist Dr. Gerry Ortega.

The task force was in close coordination with the Thai police who are holding the brothers for eventual deportation, the source added.

Another source said the PNP’s Task Force Tugis went to Thailand last year to look for the Reyes brothers.

The arrest of the Reyes brothers was relayed to the police by the Thailand embassy, the police source said.

The information was confirmed by the victim’s wife, Patty Ortega, who told the Inquirer Monday that she had been officially advised by authorities of the arrest. She added however they have no information on the circumstances behind the arrest.

Full story: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/723900/reyes-brothers-in-ortega-killing-arrested-in-bangkok

-- INQUIRER 2015-09-21

[webfact]

Reyes brothers arrested in Thailand – DOJ

(UPDATED) Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and former Coron mayor Mario Reyes are suspects in the murder of broadcast journalist Gerry Ortega

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Two former Palawan officials implicated in the murder of broadcast journalist Gerry Ortega were captured in Thailand on Sunday, September 20, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed on Monday, September 21.

Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother, former Coron mayor Mario Reyes, are implicated in the murder of Ortega in January 2011.

In a text message to reporters, De Lima said that according to the Bureau of Immigration, Interpol-Manila has has confirmed information regarding the "arrest of the Reyes brothers and their impending deportation" to the Philippines.

The two have a P2-million bounty for their capture.

In a phone interview with Rappler, Ortega’s daughter, Michaella, said her family “did not expect this to happen” this week.

“It’s a welcome surprise,” Michaella said.

Full story: http://www.rappler.com/nation/106596-reyes-brothers-arrested-thailand

-- Rappler 2015-09-21

[webfact]

Reyes brothers in Ortega killing arrested in Thailand
Jaymee T. Gamil, Julliane Love De Jesus, Redempto D. Anda
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Asia News Network



BANGKOK: -- Former Palawan governor Joel T. Reyes and his brother Mario were arrested by the police in Phuket, Thailand, on Sunday, according to a police source.

The source, an official of Task Force Usig, the tracker group assigned to catch big fugitives, said the Reyes brothers had long been wanted for the slay of Palawan environmentalist and journalist Dr. Gerry Ortega. The task force was in close coordination with the Thai police who are holding the brothers for eventual deportation, the source added.

Another source said the PNP's Task Force Tugis went to Thailand last year to look for the Reyes brothers.

The arrest of the Reyes brothers was relayed to the PNP by the Thailand embassy, the police source said.

But a ranking police official privy to the operation told INQUIRER.net that Mario and Joel were arrested and held by immigration authorities for overstaying in Thailand.

In 2012, President Aquino offered a P2 million reward for the arrest of the "Big Five" including the Reyes brothers, Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, Globe Asiatique developer Delfin Lee and former Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr.

Four of the five high-profile fugitives have been arrested except for Ecleo.

The information was confirmed by the victim's wife, Patty Ortega, who told the Inquirer Monday that she had been officially advised by authorities of the arrest. She added however they have no information on the circumstances behind the arrest.

For her part, Ortega's daughter, Mica, told a radio interview that the family was initially "stunned" and could not believe the news.

Mica added that they felt relief that justice could continue with the trial of the alleged masterminds.

Joel and his brother Mario, then the mayor of the town of Coron in Palawan, fled the country sometime in March 2012 several months after they were indicted by the Department of Justice in the Ortega murder and an arrest warrant was issued against them by the Palawan Regional Trial Court.

Ortega, a hard-hitting broadcaster and a known environmental crusader in Palawan, was shot dead by a lone assassin along the downtown area of this city on Jan. 24, 2011. The assassin, Marlon Recamata, was nabbed after a brief chase and later confessed to the crime at the Puerto Princesa police.

Recamata's arrest led to the arrest of several other suspects who pointed to the Reyes brothers as the masterminds in the slaying.

The Reyes brothers have been seeking to quash their arrest warrant before the Supreme Court and had managed to win an appeal in the Court of Appeals on their motion questioning the validity of the creation of a DOJ prosecutors' panel that indicted them for murder.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Reyes-brothers-in-Ortega-killing-arrested-in-Thail-30269224.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-21

[webfact]

Philippine ex-governor, brother arrested in Thailand

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The former governor of a Philippine province and his brother who are wanted for the 2011 murder of a radio anchor and prominent environmentalist have been arrested in Thailand, officials said Monday.

Former Gov. Joel Reyes of western Palawan island province and his brother Mario Reyes, an ex-municipal mayor, were arrested Sunday by Thai police on the southern island of Phuket, said Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. She said immigration authorities were processing the brothers' deportation papers.

The Philippine government has offered a 2 million peso ($43,000) reward each for information leading to the arrest of the brothers, who fled the Philippines after being implicated in the murder of Gerardo Ortega.

Ortega's family and colleagues say Ortega was silenced for opposing mining on Palawan, which is famous for its pristine beaches and virgin forests.

He was fatally shot in 2011 by a self-confessed hit man who implicated the Reyes brothers and a former provincial administrator.

"The arrest of the long-wanted Reyes brothers provides an opportunity for pursuing the ends of justice," presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma said. "We acknowledge the efforts of Interpol and Thai authorities in making this possible."

Mika Ortega, the slain environmentalist's daughter, also welcomed the arrests. But she told DZMM radio that there is a long fight ahead to make sure that the master minds of the crime are convicted.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-21

[steveyinasia]

Will the RTP be lining up for the P2 Million in reward money?

[Prbkk]

Phuket seems to be a favoured hiding place for these ratbags and vagabonds. Worse than Pattaya.

[Nemesis7]

So one year vacation was just fine for the phil national police. I bet they knew their where abouts long back, and asked for money, accommodation and what not from these two and since after a long one year it was time to return they decided to catch them and bring back to Philippines. PNP is as corrupted as RTP if not more.

[Ulic]

Will they do any serious jail time ?

[phil2407]

Money talks!!!!!

[gandalf12]

The want the reward that is why they have caught them. No money as a reward then forget it, they will not be caught

[arrowsdawdle]

Phuket seems to be a favoured hiding place for these ratbags and vagabonds. Worse than Pattaya.

Two sides of the same coin.

[DeepInTheForest]

Environmentalists are constantly targeted in the neoliberal world, because they often advocate for indigenous groups and threaten profits. Here is another example... He took on the mining interests, always a dangerous move. Don't know enough about him to judge the purity of his motives, but he seemed to be well-intentioned.

http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/01/24/palawan-environmentalist-and-broadcaster-shot-dead/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Ortega

He also promoted 'sustainable ecotourism', whatever that phrase means.

A quote touting projects: “All of these are the projects of the community-based sustainable tourism where the support is the community and 100 percent of the profits go to the community. All of the employees, managers, and all of the workers are from the community.” The wikipedia entry cites five different eco-projects he backed-- snorkeling, a zip line, firefly watching among them.

He left five children and a wife. Condolences to them.

Edited September 21, 2015 by DeepInTheForest

[webfact]

PHUKET
Fugitive Filipino brothers nabbed
THE NATION,
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ANN



BANGKOK: -- TWO Filipino brothers and politicians wanted in their country over the murder of a prominent anti-corruption crusader have been arrested in Phuket - three years after they first came to Thailand.

Joel Reyes, the former governor of Palawan Island, and his brother Mario, a former town mayor, were arrested on Sunday and are now detained by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD). They were taken to attend a press conference about their arrest by the CSD yesterday

CSD commander Pol Maj Gen Akkaradej Pimolsri said the Reyes brothers, who were in a mining business, were accused by the Philippine authorities of hiring a gunman to kill an environmentalist campaigning against a mine in 2011. The brothers fled to Thailand in 2012, entering the country without passing the proper immigration process, he said.

A source from the Philippine National Police's Task Force Usig, a tracker group assigned to catch high-profile fugitives, said the Reyes brothers had long been wanted for the slaying of Palawan environmentalist and journalist Dr Gerry Ortega.

The task force was in close coordination with Thai police, who are holding the brothers for eventual deportation, the source added.

Another source said the task force went to Thailand last year to look for the brothers. The arrest of the brothers was relayed to the PNP by the Thailand embassy, the source said.

But a ranking police official privy to the operation said the brothers were arrested and held by immigration authorities for overstaying in Thailand.

In 2012, President Benigno Aquino offered a 2 million pesos (Bt1.5 million) reward for the arrest of the so-called "Big Five" - the Reyes brothers, army Maj-General Jovito Palparan, Globe Asiatique developer Delfin Lee and former Dinagat Island Representative Ruben Ecleo Jr.

Ecleo is the only one of the five who has escaped arrest to date.

Ortega's wife, Patty, said Philippine authorities had told her the brothers had been arrested. She added, however, they had no information on the circumstances behind the arrest.

Ortega's daughter, Mica, said in a radio interview that the family was initially "stunned" and could not believe the news.

Mica said they felt relief that the alleged masterminds would stand trial.

Joel and Mario, the then mayor Coron in Palawan, fled the country sometime in March 2012, several months after they were indicted by the Department of Justice over Ortega's murder. An arrest warrant was issued against them by the Palawan Regional Trial Court.

Ortega - a hard-hitting broadcaster and a known environmental crusader in Palawan - was shot dead by a lone assassin in the downtown area of the city on January 24, 2011. The assassin, Marlon Recamata, was arrested after a brief chase and later confessed to the crime.

Recamata's arrest led to the arrest of several other suspects, who pointed to the Reyes brothers as the masterminds in the slaying. The brothers have sought to quash their arrest warrant before the Supreme Court and had managed to win an appeal in the Court of Appeals on their motion questioning the validity of the creation of a DOJ prosecutors' panel that indicted them for murder.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Fugitive-Filipino-brothers-nabbed-30269268.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-22

[webfact]

Reyes brothers extradited on Thursday
Jerome Aning, Redempto D. Anda
The Inquirer
Asia News Network

MANILA: -- The deportation of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother, Coron ex-mayor Mario Reyes, the alleged masterminds of the killing of broadcaster Gerry Ortega, has been tentatively set for Thursday, according to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

De Lima, in an interview with reporters, said Philippine National Police operatives will fetch the Reyes brothers in Bangkok, Thailand, and escort the suspects back to the country. The brothers were arrested by Thai immigration authorities in the island resort of Phuket last Sunday.

Ortega, a hard-hitting commentator of a local affiliate of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) and a known environmental crusader in Palawan, was shot dead in broad daylight by a lone assassin in Puerto Princesa City on Jan. 24, 2011. He was a vocal critic of Palawan officials, particularly the then governor Joel Reyes, whom he accused of misusing the province's share of royalties from the Malampaya gas field operations off Palawan.

A former bodyguard earlier pointed to the Reyes brothers as the masterminds of the Ortega murder.

Lawyer Harry Roque said the government should not stop at the arrests and must ensure that justice is meted out to the guilty, including those who plundered the Malampaya funds.

"We're hoping for justice for Dr. Gerry Ortega's family and for the country. All those who plundered the Malampaya funds should also be prosecuted and Palawan should be given its lawful 40 percent share from all of the gas well's revenues," said Roque, chair of the Center for International Law.

Roque served as counsel for the Ortega family in the murder case against the Reyeses until it was filed in court.

He is also counsel for the Kilusan Love Malampaya (KLM), a Palawan-based civil society group and residents of Palawan who filed a petition with the Supreme Court to compel the government to give the province a 40-percent share of the Malampaya royalties, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code.

The petition has been pending with the high court since it was filed nearly seven years ago.

Ortega, one of the prime movers behind KLM, was a severe critic of the role of the Palawan provincial government—then headed by Joel Reyes as governor—in the handling of the Malampaya funds.

Meanwhile, the Ortega family on Tuesday challenged De Lima to resolve a petition that will ensure the continuation of the trial of the murder case at the Palawan regional trial court.

Ortega's wife, Patty, said she was concerned about the possible outcome of the legal issue being raised at the Supreme Court by the lawyers of Joel Reyes, questioning De Lima's creation of a second panel of prosecutors that indicted the suspects in the murder in 2012.

"The trial is already ongoing. The Reyes brothers want the Supreme Court to invalidate it and quash their warrant of arrest because of a question of technicality on how the preliminary investigation was conducted," Patty said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Reyes-brothers-extradited-on-Thursday-30269365.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-23

[Sam Jones]

The brothers fled to Thailand in 2012, entering the country without passing the proper immigration process, he said.

So they also bribed the Immigration to enter Thailand like the bombers or .... ? No wonder Thailand is a haven for criminals to hide in ...