GOVERNMENT prosecutors have asked the anti-graft court to throw former Palawan governor Joel Reyes back in jail days after he was released on orders of the Court of Appeals.
In an urgent motion, prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman asked the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan to cancel Reyes’ bail and jail him for his conviction for granting an anomalous mining permit in April 2006.
In a widely criticized decision, the Court of Appeals last week cleared Reyes of the 2011 murder of broadcast journalist and environmentalist Gerry Ortega and ordered his release.
“In spite of his conviction [for graft]…Reyes was allowed bail, over the objections of the prosecution that… [he] was and remains to be a flight risk; and notwithstanding the fact that during the trial of the case, his counsel could not produce the accused before the honorable court nor categorically state or account his whereabouts on several occasions,” the prosecution said in its motion.
Prosecutors pointed out that Reyes and his brother, former Coron mayor Mario Reyes had fled to Thailand in 2015 to evade prosecution.
“It will be recalled that accused Reyes was a fugitive. Had it not been for the intervention of Thai authorities, accused Reyes would not have been deported to face the criminal charges against him,” the motion read.
“Considering accused Reyes’ previous record and to prevent its recurrence, the cancellation of his bail and his immediate commitment to prison are warranted,” it added.
Demetrio Custodio, Reyes’ lawyer, objected to the motion, saying his legal victory before the Court of Appeals made it “absurd” to consider him a flight risk.
The Palace commended the Office of the Ombudsman for asking the Sandiganbayan to cancel Reyes’ bail.
“That’s how it should be! I commend OMB for the order,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who used to be a lawyer for the Ortega family, said in a text message.
Roque said Ortega’s murder was an example of extrajudicial killing.
The Palace this week expressed alarm over the Court of Appeals decision to clear Reyes of Ortega’s murder.