Ex-Palawan guv surrenders

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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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January 30, 2018
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MANILA – Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes surrendered to Sandiganbayan on Monday hours after the anti-graft court ordered his rearrest in relation to an anomalous renewal of a mining permit.

Reyes arrived at the Sandiganbayan at around 3 p.m. He will be detained at the Quezon City Jail Annex at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.

“We respect the decision of the Sandiganbayan. Kaya nga tayo naririto to voluntarily surrender,” Reyes told the press in an ambush interview on his way to the anti-graft court.

“We will file a motion for reconsideration of order revoking (Reyes’) bail,” said Reyes’ legal counsel Demetrio Custodio. “We will also bring his conviction to the Supreme Court.”

In a resolution released early on Monday, the Sandiganbayan Third Division granted the Office of the Ombudsman’s motion to cancel Reyes’ bail, citing his previous escape to Thailand when he was charged for the murder of journalist Gerry Ortega.

Reyes and brother Mario went into hiding in 2012 before a warrant of arrest was issued against him. They were eventually arrested in Thailand and brought back to the Philippines to face trial in 2015.

“There was a probability of flight if he (Reyes) were allowed to remain on provisional liberty given his record of having been a fugitive from justice,” the Sandiganbayan said.

Reyes’ graft conviction stemmed from his decision to renew Olympic Mines and Development Corp.’s (OMDC) small-scale mining permit for the period April 6, 2006 to April 5, 2008.

The renewal was questioned because the OMDC already exceeded the annual maximum extraction limit of 50,000 dry metric tons of ore and it used heavy equipment, in violation of small-scale mining laws.

The Sandiganbayan also affirmed Reyes’ sentence of six to eight years for acting with “gross inexcusable negligence.”

“(Reyes) failed to show any cogent reason to reverse or modify the Decision … finding him guilty of violation of Section 3 (e), RA No. 3019,” the anti-graft court noted. “The fact remains that there remains a bail-negating circumstance in this case.”

In a decision dated Jan. 4, the Court of Appeal’s Former 11th Division Special Division of Five voted 3-2 to order Reyes’ release from detention for the Ortega murder for lack of probable cause./PN
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