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MANILA, Philippines – The family of slain broadcaster Gerry Ortega wants a lawyer disbarred for allegedly aiding in the escape of the principal suspects in his murder.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 19, Michaella Ortega said her family will be filing an administrative complaint against Hermie S Aban before the Supreme Court. Aban is the lawyer of the Reyes brothers, ex-Palawan Gov Mario Joel Reyes and former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, principal suspects in the Ortega murder but who remain at large.
Government records showed that the brothers, along with Aban, left for Vietnam via a Cebu Pacific flight on March 18. The former Palawan governor used a fake passport bearing the name Joseph Lim Pe.
“It is utterly inconceivable for Atty. Hermie S. Aban to be oblivious to the whereabouts of the Reyes brothers,” Michaella Ortega said in the statement. “This is because his name appears not only to have been on the same flight as Joseph Lim Pe, believed to be ex-Governor Joel Reyes, and Mayor Mario Reyes, but that documents show that Atty. Aban even seated beside the brothers on their way to Vietnam on March 18, 2012. The Vietnam Immigration Office also confirms that Atty. Aban arrived in Vietnam at the same time and date as the Reyes brothers.”
The complaint against Aban, which accuses him of violating Rule 138 of Rules of Court and Code of Professional Responsibility, said: “This is not only a gross violation of his oath as a lawyer, but also a clear act of obstruction of justice.”
Ortega said: “That Atty. Hermie S. Aban assisted in the escape of the Reyes brothers as they evade arrest is unacceptable. That he, being an Attorney at Law, knowingly and willfully concealed such knowledge is doubly unacceptable.”
On September 11, Michaella Ortega also filed a case against the former Palawan governor for tampering with his passport.
Her father, a staunch Reyes critic, was killed in Puerto Princesa City in January 2011.
Witnesses, including those reportedly hired for the murder, later linked the Reyes brothers to the plot. – Rappler.com
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