Ex-Palawan governor Joel Reyes asks CA to cite Roque in contempt

Former Palawan governor Joel Reyes asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to penalize presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for attacking the decision that allowed him to walk out of detention in connection with the case involving the killing of radio commentator and environmentalist Gerry Ortega in 2011.

Reyes urged the CA to cite Roque for indirect contempt, which carries the penalty of fine or imprisonment, for calling the ruling a “travesty of justice” and “alarming” in his statements to the press early this week.

The former governor said Roque’s “attacks on the CA “were unwarranted and tended to impair the Honorable Court’s independence and efficiency, as well as the public’s confidence in the Honorable Court’s honesty and integrity.”

“In his public statements, he called the Honorable Court's decision as a 'travesty of justice,' insinuating that the Honorable Court decided the case for considerations other than the ends of justice. He also accused the Honorable Court of arrogance for allegedly overruling a previous decision of the Supreme Court... which is even misleading because the matter decided, in that case, had nothing to do with the jurisdiction and validity of its exercise by the trial court, which was the matters at issue in (the CA decision),” stated the petition filed on Wednesday.

While Roque claimed to have issued the statements in his personal capacity, his criticism of the decision may have a “possible influence on the public and even the courts,” according to Reyes.

“If it were true that respondent (Reyes) was speaking in his personal capacity, there was no reason for him to have announced that the reversal of the Honorable Court's ruling is 'the official position of the Duterte government,’” the petition stated.

“Instead, his declaration was clearly a veiled threat for the Honorable Court to decide the motion for reconsideration or whatever remedy the government would take, in its favor, otherwise the Honorable Court would be going against 'the official position of the Duterte government,” it added.

Told about Reyes’ action, Roque said on Thursday that it is the duty and obligation of the state to accord its citizens justice.

“I spoke in that capacity. I have no regrets, and even the President approved of my statements," the Palace official said.

Voting 3 to 2 on January 4, the CA Former Eleventh Division voided the warrant of arrest issued by the Puerto Princesa City Regional Trial Court Branch 52 against Reyes, citing lack of sufficient evidence for a finding of probable cause for the former governor's indictment.

The CA also ordered the local court to discontinue the trial against the former governor.

Solicitor General Jose Calida has already bared plans of asking the Supreme Court to reverse the decision, vowing there will be no “miscarriage of justice” under his watch.

Ortega was slain on January 24, 2011 while shopping in a used clothes store in Puerto Princesa.

He was allegedly silenced for his radio commentaries about the Reyes' supposed misuse of the share of the provincial government in the proceeds from the operation of the Malampaya natural gas plant off Palawan. —KG, GMA News