Ortega’s widow: I want to see Reyes brothers handcuffed, facing court

The Thai police presents the arrest of former politicians Joel Reyes (seated, right) and his brother Mario (seated, left). (Photo from the Bureau of Immigration)

MANILA – Patria Gloria “Patty” Ortega, widow of slain journalist and environmentalist Gerry Ortega, felt relieved after hearing that the alleged masterminds in the 2011 killing of her late husband were arrested in Phuket, Thailand over the weekend.

Ortega admitted, however, still fearing that former Palawan governor Mario Joel T. Reyes and his brother, former Coron mayor Mario T. Reyes, could still evade conviction.

“We still feel anxiety. Our judicial system is not that fast. We know our opponents have a lot of advantages. They have money, influence. They slipped through immigration. So, it is not far from our thoughts that something else might happen,” the widow said in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.

“Until we see them in handcuffs and in the custody of local authorities, we shall remain hoping… I want to see them handcuffed and facing a court and in jail,” she added.

The victim, a hard-hitting radio broadcaster who criticized the Reyes brothers for their purported misuse of funds supposedly intended for the Malampaya gas field in Palawan, was shot dead on January 2011.

Thai immigration officials have already started processing the deportation of the two fugitives who reportedly left the Philippines in 2012 after murder charges were filed against them before the Department of Justice (DOJ).