PNP-CIDG to fetch Joel Reyes, brother from Thailand —De Lima

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday clarified that the National Bureau of Investigation would be taking no part in the deportation and eventual detention of murder suspects Joel and Mario Reyes in the Philippines.

In an interview at the Department of Justice in Manila, De Lima confirmed that a team from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has already flown to Thailand to fetch the Reyes brothers, who were arrested recently by the Thai police in Phuket for overstaying.

De Lima said she still does not know whether the Reyes brothers would be immediately brought to Palawan where their murder case is being heard, or be initially detained in Metro Manila.

"The latest update I got is the PNP-CIDG team na pumunta dun sa Thailand to fetch and subsequently escort them papumta dito sa Pilipinas," De Lima told reporters.

"Now, hindi ko pa alam yung eksaktong pinakaplano kung ididiretso o ilalagay muna sila sa isamg detention facility dito sa Metro Manila bago nila dalhin sa Puerto Princesa," she added.

"Kasi iyong team na iyan [ng pulis na susundo sa kanila] can be considered as the arresting team, and therefore that team has to make a return of the service of the warrant sa [Palawan] court, so the court can issue a corresponding commitment order," said De Lima.

"Hindi ko lang alam kung physically nga kailangang diretsuhin sa Puerto Princesa or dito na muna," she added.

If the Reyes brothers would have to be detained in Metro Manila, it would "most probably" be at the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City, De Lima said.

"Hindi ko na ipapasama ang NBI dahil nga sa doon na ang alam ko, nandoon na iyong PNP-CIDG team," said the Justice secretary.

The brothers are accused with the murder of broadcaster Gerry Ortega, also a noted environmentalist in Palawan, who was gunned down in 2011.

Joel is a former Palawan governor while Mario once served as mayor of Coron.

The Reyes brothers allegedly slipped out of the country in March 2012, a few days before arrest warrants were issued against them.

The two reportedly flew to Vietnam, with Joel supposedly using a fake passport under the name "Joseph Lim Pe."

The Reyes brothers were later included in the government's "Big Five Fugitives" list, which also included retired General Jovito Palparan, real estate businessman Delfin Lee, and former Congressman Ruben Ecleo.

Only Ecleo remains at-large.

Ortega was a staunch critic of the Reyeses and was known to make hard-hitting commentary against the local government at that time. —NB, GMA News