Gerry Ortega

Ortega was born on August 28, 1963, to Rafael "Totoy" Ortega, who was the municipal mayor of Aborlan, in the island province of Palawan. Ortega was a devout Roman Catholic and was one of the local leaders of the Catholic group, Couples for Christ, in Palawan. == Crocodile farming pioneer (1988–2001) ==

In 1988, Ortega began working at the Crocodile Farming Institute (since renamed the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center but still known widely and referred to below as the Crocodile Farm or CFI) in Irawan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. At the time, many thought the Crocodile Farm project, which was run by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, would never succeed. But Ortega and his team made it not only viable but globally known. Ortega and his team at the CFI also received considerable media attention over catching the largest saltwater crocodile in the country. In 1993 the CFI came up with the idea of farming out their crocodiles. The idea sparked considerable interest, and over 80 potential crocodile farmers applied. Nineteen of these were in attendance on February 1 to 3, 1999, when Ortega hosted the “Orientation on the Establishment of Crocodile Farms in the Philippines.” After screening applicants, the CFI gave 6 crocodile farmers their first crocodiles in early 2000. Ortega's initiative thus represented the birth of the crocodile industry in the Philippines. == Political career (2001–2004) ==

Ortega resigned from his post at Crocodile Farm in time to run for a position in the Provincial Board of Palawan during the elections of 2001. He won and held that post until 2004. It was during this time that Ortega is said to have first gained access to "information and documents about widespread corruption in the provincial government of Palawan." As a result, Ortega became "the foremost critic of then Governor Mario Joel T. Reyes." In 2004, Ortega ran for Governor of Palawan, under a good governance platform where he lost to Governor Reyes. == Environmental advocacy and community organizing (2004–2011) ==

Uncertain about their future career, given the political and economic situation in the Philippines, he and his wife Patty briefly considered taking a job abroad. Ortega explained the way these projects were structured to Philippine Star journalist Faizza Farinna Tanggol on January 22, 2011: : “All of these are the project of the community-based sustainable tourism where the support is the community and 100 percent of the profits go to the community. All of the employees, managers, and all of the workers are from the community.” : “We do not have to destroy the environment for us to benefit from it.... We just need to take care of it so we can invite guests for them to see the natural beauty of our environment so that our countrymen will have opportunities from that. As we always say — kung may pakialam, may pakinabang.” (whoever contributes benefits.) The five eco-tourism projects spearheaded by Bantay-Kalikasan Palawan under Ortega are: • the Bacungan River Cruise; • Snorkeling in Honda Bay and island-hopping at the Pambato Reef Dalubkaragatan; • Dolphin- and Whale-watching in Puerto Princesa Bay; • Firefly watching on the Iwahig River; and • Ugong Rock Rock Climb and Zip Line. == Journalism (2004–2011) ==

At this time, Ortega also began serving as an anchor/commentator in a number of radio stations in Palawan, allowing him to promote his environmental advocacy and continue his anti-corruption campaign. Puerto Princesa City Former Mayor Edward Hagedorn revealed that Ortega was especially concerned when at one point the threats extended to his daughters. ==The "Ten Million Signatures for the Banning of Mining in Palawan" campaign==

In January 2011, Ortega, together with Bantay Kalikasan decided to launch a broad campaign against mining in Palawan, in response to the approval of large scale mining by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) the month before. Ortega was getting ready to travel to Manila for the launching of the Ten Million Signatures Campaign for the banning of mining operations in the province of Palawan when he was assassinated. ==Assassination==

At around 10:30 in the morning of January 24, 2011, Ortega had just finished broadcasting on his morning show "Ramatak" It was here that a gunman came up behind Ortega, and shot him in the back of the head. He was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to reclusion perpetua (20 to 40 years in prison). A second suspect, Percival Lecias, was invited for questioning by the Puerto Princesa office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on January 25, 2011. Dennis Aranas was arrested in Coron, Palawan, three days after the assassination, on January 28, 2011. He also confessed to the crime at the Puerto Princesa Police Office. Dismissal of charges by First Panel against alleged masterminds Before criminal charges can be filed, prosecutors must determine if there is reasonable evidence against the accused. In a resolution dated June 8, 2011, a panel of prosecutors from the Philippines' Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed criminal charges filed against former Marinduque Governor Jose Antonio N. Carrion, former Palawan Gov. Mario Joel T. Reyes, former Palawan Mayor Mario T. Reyes, former provincial administrator Atty. Romeo Serratubias, Arturo Regalado, and Percival B. Lecias, citing "insufficiency of evidence". The same resolution said that there was probable cause to charge Rodolfo Edrad Jr., Armando Noel, Dennis Aranas, and Arwin Arandia with murder. arguing that those she alleged to be the "masterminds and principals" behind the killing ought to be charged, not just the ones who were charged, whom she referred to as "pawns whose participation in the murder were merely at best as accessories." The Thai police found Joel Reyes was using a fake Malaysian passport and the name "Jhonny Leong." Mario Reyes was using a falsified Philippine passport and using the name "Nicholas Lim Gatchalian" and called himself Nicky. Upon his arrival in the Philippines, Joel claimed that he and his brother were not hiding, and that they turned themselves in to Thai authorities. Shortly after being jailed in Puerto Princesa, the jail's warden was relieved of his position over allegations of special treatment afforded to the brothers in contravention to a government pledge of no special treatment. Post capture proceedings and fallout On September 28, 2015, the DOJ announced a team of lawyers was investigating the implications of reviewing and/or reversing the findings by the first panel that was in favor of not prosecuting the Reyes brothers. A decision was expected in two weeks. On October 2, 2015, the Reyes brothers refused to make a plea for the killing of Ortega and the judge entered a plea of not guilty on their behalf. The case pre-trial conference and bail request hearing were set for December 3, 2015. On September 30, 2015, the Office of the Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay called upon the DOJ to investigate former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado for his possible involvement in hiding the Reyes brothers. According to VP Binay, police confirmed Mercado had been receiving calls and messages from the Reyes brothers. Mercado meanwhile had been providing testimony against Binay's son, former mayor of Makati Jejomar Erwin Junjun Binay had been accused of corruption and bribing one of the same judges in the Court of Appeals that issued adverse rulings in the Ortega cases. Philippine Senator Antonio Trillanes IV publicly named and claimed two judges on the Court of Appeals were paid off by the Binay family. Initially, he did not name who the front man was for the Binay family. However, later he named a local law firm which employed the daughter of the justice that ruled on the Ortega case. One of her specialty areas is mining. In mid-October 2015 the brothers declared themselves as candidates for office in the 2016 elections. Joel will run for mayor and Mario as vice mayor of Coron town. Court decisions In late January 2016, the Supreme Court rendered a decision regarding whether the Reyes could be prosecuted for the murder. The Supreme Court determined that "The trial court has already determined, independently of any finding or recommendation by the First Panel or Second Panel, that probable cause exists for the issuance of the warrant of arrest against respondent. Probable cause has been judicially determined. Jurisdiction over the case, therefore, has transferred to the trial court." In early March 2016, a former top aide of Governor Reyes, Arturo "Nonoy" Regalado, was found guilty. He was sentenced to reclusión perpetua. His role in the murder included the purchase of the gun. At the Reyeses trial on March 21, 2016, bodyguard Rodolfo Edrad Jr. testified that he hired the killers, and identified the brothers as the masterminds. He testified that his employer, the then governor and his brother, paid him P500,000. In August 2017, the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan convicted Joel Reyes with one count of graft and sentenced him to 6 to 8 years in prison over an illegal small-scale mining permit in Puerto Princesa in 2006. However, in early January 2018, the Court of Appeals freed Joel Reyes from jail. The court ruling said that the Palawan Regional Trial Court had no basis to hold him for trial over the murder of broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega and deemed him a free man. No other explanation was made, despite the conviction of Reyes in a different case in August 2017. On January 29, 2018, the Sandiganbayan ordered the arrest of Joel Reyes in connection with his conviction for the anomalous renewal of small-scale mining permits. Reyes is also facing separate charges at the Sandiganbayan over the Malampaya and fertilizer fund scams. The Malampaya fund scam has also been link to Ortega's murder. On September 11, 2024, Joel Reyes surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation. == Legacy ==

Fund for Palawan journalists Inspired by plans originally conceived by Ortega, local media units in Palawan, through the Alyansa ng Panlalawigang Mamamahayag Inc. (APAMAI) and the local chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), launched a savings and loan fund project for their members on July 24, 2011. Campaign against the killing of journalists According to Forbidden Stories, Ortega was one of 13 reporters around the world killed from 2009 and 2019 for investigating environmental issues. UNESCO director general Irina Bokova condemned Ortega's murder, stating that "It is unacceptable that yet again, firearms have been used to silence the voice of someone who in his work defended the right of citizens to be informed, a fundamental right of democratic society." On the anniversary of Ortega's killing in January 2024, press freedom, human rights, and environmental activists held a tribute for Ortega outside the Supreme Court, and called on the international community to help push for the protection of environmental defenders in the Philippines. From 2012 to 2024, 281 environmental defenders have been killed, making the Philippines the most dangerous in country in Asia for environmental activist, according to the Environmental Defenders Congress. ==References==