MANILA, Philippines鈥擠ue to weakness of evidence, the Puerto Princesa City Regional Trial Court allowed one of the accused in the death of broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega to post bail.
In an eight-page decision dated July 8, RTC Branch 52 Judge Angelo Arizada granted the bid of lawyer Romeo Seratubias to post bail worth P300,000. Seratubias is the alleged owner of the pistol used in Ortega鈥檚 killing.
Gerry Ortega murder case: One of the accused allowed to post bail. INQUIRER PHOTO
The lower court ruled that even when the Police Firearms and Explosives Office has established Seratubias鈥� ownership of the gun, some of the previous testimonies verified that the 鈥渇irearm used had been sold to Arturo 鈥淣onoy鈥� Regalado, close-in aide of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes.
鈥淭he Court finds that there are eyewitnesses attesting to the overt acts of Regalado in the planning and execution of the killing of Ortega,鈥� the court said.
Ortega was killed on Jan. 24, 2011. Reyes and his brother Coron Mayor Mario Reyes are the principal accused in the case.