THE National Press Club (NPC) said it would continue to support the quest for justice of the family and friends of slain Puerto Princesa City broadcaster, Gerardo ‘Doc Gerry’ Ortega, despite the recent setback thrown its way by a decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) clearing the principal suspects, former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and his brother, Coron mayor, Mario Reyes.
“While we respect the decision of the court, it is lamentable that legal technicalities has gotten in the way of giving justice to Doc Gerry, whose death, like other members of the press before him, has symbolize the price that Filipino journalists has to pay when exposing shenanigans in government,” said NPC president Benny Antiporda.
Antiporda noted that in throwing out the cases against the Reyeses and their other alleged conspirators in the killing of Ortega two years ago, the CA’s Special 10TH Division put the blame on the alleged “abuses” of existing procedures by the Department of Justice and Sec. Leila de Lima when she created another panel to investigate the murder.
“While it is now up for the parties concerned to appeal the decision, it should not be considered as a setback.
“Rather, this should inspire all to persevere more in seeking out the truth about the circumstances leading to the murder of Doc Gerry and in bringing before the bar of justice those behind it,” Antiporda said.
“I am also calling on the Philippine media community to close ranks. The turn of events in the case of Doc Gerry clearly shows that the ‘culture of impunity’ and our system of justice remains skewed in favour of the rich and the well-connected even under the supposed ‘gobyernong matuwid’ of Pres. Noynoy Aquino.
Sadly, it is fast getting clear that only a vigilant media can protect its rank from more violence and gross injustice in the midst of the Aquino government’s lack of political will to protect members of the press and in giving justice where it is due,” Antiporda added.