Gunman in Ortega slay gets life

MANILA, Philippines - Puerto Princesa Regional Trial Court Branch 52 yesterday convicted the gunman in the murder of environmentalist Gerry Ortega on Jan. 24, 2011.

Marlon Recamata was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt after pleading guilty to the crime, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed.

Citing a report from Fiscal Carlos Santos Jr., Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Judge Angelo Rizala sentenced Recamata to reclusion perpetua and ordered him jailed at the Iwahig Penal Farm.

De Lima welcomed the ruling.

“This development is of course good news for us. But of course, justice can only be fully served in that case if the masterminds are also found and punished,” the DOJ chief said in a text message.

Recamata had admitted to the crime in February 2011, but claimed he only wanted to rob Ortega who was inside a store at the time.

Recamata then implicated Rodolfo “Bumar” Edrad Jr., Dennis Aranas and Armando Noel. The case against the three remains pending before the same court.

Edrad turned state witness and pointed to former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and his brother Coron Mayor Mario Reyes as the supposed masterminds.

But the Reyes brothers were cleared by the Court of Appeals (CA) due to faulty preliminary investigation by the DOJ.

De Lima created a second panel of prosecutors to accept new evidence presented by the Ortega family instead of resolving a pending petition for review with her office questioning findings of an earlier panel that cleared the Reyes brothers.