The government is offering a P100,000 reward for anyone who could provide relevant information leading to the arrest of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes.
Reyes had been identified as the mastermind in the 2019 murder of Puerto Princesa broadcast journalist Gerardo Valeriano ‘Doc Gerry’ Ortega.
The monetary reward, according to Usec. Paul M. Gutierrez, executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), would come from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) under Usec. Gilbert Cruz.
According to Gutierrez, the PAOCC has been a consistent supporter of the activities of the PTFoMS, with violence against journalists being the priority case of the Marcos administration.
“In the case of Doc Gerry, Usec. Cruz and I agreed that his killing has already dragged on far too long. Justice has been denied to him and his family far too long,” Gutierrez said.
For their part, the PTFoMS called on civic-minded citizens and advocates for justice to contribute to the reward.
Based on his experience, Gutierrez said that the offer of reward money motivates people to step forward and offer information on the whereabouts of fugitives which can lead to their arrest.
“While any act of violence, especially murder, deserves condemnation, it is not enough. Let us all work together in proving that no one is above the law by raising the reward for the arrest of Reyes,” Gutierrez said.