Mario Joel Reyes
Governor of Palawan
In office
July 3, 2000 – June 30, 2010
Preceded bySalvador Socrates
Succeeded byAbraham Mitra
Personal details
Born
Mario Joel Tolentino Reyes

1952 (age 71–72)
Coron, Palawan
NationalityFilipino

Mario Joel Tolentino Reyes is a Filipino politician who served as Governor of Palawan.

Early life and education

Reyes was born in 1952 in Coron, Palawan. He attended the Far Eastern University and pursued a law degree but later dropped out.[1]

Reyes left his hometown after he was linked to the death of a friend during a hunting trip; which was recorded as an accident by the police. He would go to the United States to work in various odd jobs, primarily as a bartender in Los Angeles, California.[1]

Political career

Early years

Then Acting Vice Governor Art Ventura, who was installed to his position in 1986 under the revolutionary government under President Corazon Aquino, was the one that convinced Reyes to get involved in politics by urging him to run for the position of Palawan board member.[1]

In the 1990s, he would get elected as Palawan vice governor. Around that time he was already protege of House Speaker Ramon Mitra, a perceived rival of then incumbent governor, Salvador Socrates.[1]

Governor of Palawan (2000–2010)

Reyes first became the Governor of Palawan when he assumed the position under an acting capacity when his predecessor, Salvador Socrates died in a plane crash on July 2, 2000.[2] Reyes was elected as vice governor in 1998.[3]

However, Socrates' election in 1998 was subject to an electoral protest. On January 2, 2001 the Commission on Election (Comelec) ruled now deceased Socrates unfit to hold office and declared second placer, Douglas Hagedorn as winner of the election. Consequentially, the Comelec ordered Reyes to vacate the governor post. Reyes filed for a temporary restraining order against the move in the Supreme Court.[3]

Reyes would take part in the 2001 elections and get elected as regular governor of Palawan winning over Edward Hagedorn.[4]

In 2004, Reyes would successfully vie for reelection after garnering garnering 141,113 votes over the Vicente Sandoval who had 50,500 votes. His whole electoral slate under the Puwersa ng Mamamayang Pa-laweño would also win. [5]

Partnering with the municipal government of Coron led by his younger brother Mayor Mario Reyes Jr., Joel Reyes launched a land reclamation and tourism project, the Coron Waterfront Development Project.[6]

Reyes would sign on November 25, 2008 a 25-year moratorium on issuing permits large and small scale mining via Resolution No. 7728-08.[7]

Ineligible to run again, Reyes would back the candidacy of Abraham Mitra for the Palawan governorship in the 2010 election.[8] Mitra won against Jose Alvarez by a slim margin.[8] Alvarez was a critic of Reyes' reclamation project in Coron and alleged he owe him money from a loan Reyes supposedly took for his 2001 election campaign – the latter dismissed by Reyes as defamatory.[9]

2010 Palawan representative bid

Reyes would attempt to run to represent Palawan's 2nd district in the House of Representatives. However the Comelec blocked his bid for failing to meet residency requirements.[10]

2016 Coron mayoral bid

Despite his detention in jail, Reyes launched a bid to get elected as Mayor of Coron in the 2016 elections. His brother, also detained, was his vice mayor candidate.[11]

2023 gubernatorial bid

Reyes made a bid to get reelected as Palawan governor in the 2022 elections.[12][13] Reyes was able to run despite his graft conviction since he was still appealing the ruling in the Supreme Court.[14] In January 2023, Reyes was disqualified by the Commission on Elections despite him already having lost the elections.[15]

Killing of Gerry Ortega

Mario Joel Reyes along his brother Mario Jr. were implicated in the killing of Palawan environmentalist and journalist Gerry Ortega. Ortega was shot dead by Marlon Recamata on January 24, 2011. Recamata and several other suspects were arrested who named the Reyeses as the mastermind of the journalist's assassination.[16][17] The Reyeses were indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) which called for their arrest. The two fled the Philippines in March 2012.[16] In September 2015, they were arrested in Phuket, Thailand.[18] They were deported back to the Philippines and detained at the Puerto Princesa City Jail.[19]

Reyes was released form the Palawan city kail on January 4, 2018 after Court of Appeals (CA) cleared him from the murder case filed against him.[20] The CA reversed its decision in 2019 and reordered his arrest.[21] The Supreme Court in a March 2023 ruling which was made public in July 2023, ordered for the continuation of the Ortega killing trial and ordered for Reyes' re-arrest.[22]

Graft cases

In 2017, Reyes was convicted for graft for granting unwarranted benefits to mining firm Olympic Mines and Development Corp. (OMDC) in the renewal of its small scale mining permit which was valid from 2006 to 2008, which allowed it to mine beyond the allowable extraction limit. He was sentenced to six to eight years of imprinsonment and was perpetually disqualified from public office.[23]

The Sandiganbayan would uphold Reyes' graft conviction and reordered his arrest. Reyes surrendered on January 29, 2018 and was committed back to jail.[24] He is also facing a separate charge – 36 counts of graft in relation to the alleged misuse of the ₱1.53 billion Malampaya funds in 2008.[23][25]

Personal life

Reyes hails from the town of Coron in Palawan.[6] He is married to Clara "Fems" Espiritu.[26][27]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Anda, Redempto D. (1 October 2015). "The politics of Malampaya funds". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Two choppers crash; 13 killed". The Philippine Star. 19 May 2001. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Void Comelec resolution, Palawan governor asks Supreme Court". The Philippines Star. 8 January 2001. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Palawan gov ready to face Comelec charges". The Philippine Star. 5 April 2002. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Reyes re-elected Palawan gov". The Philippine Star. 22 May 2004. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 Celebria, Limuel (28 September 2009). "Coron, Northern Palawan: The future of Philippine Tourism". The News Today. TNT Publishing Inc. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Palawan govt issues 25-year mining halt". ABS-CBN News. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  8. 1 2 Punay, Edu (7 June 2010). "Comelec to Supreme Court: Uphold Mitra's disqualification". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Arquiza, Yasmin (30 June 2009). "After logging in Palawan, billionaire wants to be governor". GMA News. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Mahusay, Juancho (28 January 2010). "Palawan governor barred to run as congressman". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Jail won't keep Reyes brothers from polls". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Miranda, Romar (4 April 2022). "Joel Reyes back to reclaim top Palawan seat". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Socrates turns back JTR challenge as admin ticket dominates local polls". Palawan News. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  14. ↑ "Convicted and with warrant, a free Joel Reyes will run for Palawan gov". Rappler. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  15. ↑ De Villa, Kathleen (6 January 2023). "Comelec disqualifies Joel Reyes from running for Palawan gov". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  16. 1 2 Gamil, Jaymee; De Jesus, Julliane Love; Anda, Redempto (21 September 2015). "Reyes brothers in Ortega killing arrested in Thailand". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "Reyes brothers arrested in Thailand – DOJ". Rappler. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "Fugitive Philippine politicians nabbed in Phuket". Bangkok Post. Bangkok Post Public Company Limited. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  19. ↑ "Deported Reyes brothers arrive in Puerto Princesa". Gulf Times. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  20. ↑ Caliwan, Christopher Lloyd (16 January 2018). "Release of ex-Palawan guv from jail shocks Ortega family". PHilippine News Agency. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  21. ↑ Requejo, Rey (21 December 2019). "CA revives murder raps vs. ex-gov". Manila Standard. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  22. ↑ "SC: Re-arrest former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, resume trial for Gerry Ortega slay". The Philippine Star. 16 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  23. 1 2 Cayabyab, Marc Jayson (30 August 2017). "Ex-Palawan gov Joel Reyes gets 6 to 8 years, lifetime gov't ban for graft". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  24. ↑ "Sandiganbayan puts ex-Palawan governor Joel Reyes back in jail". Rappler. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  25. ↑ Marcelo, Elizabeth (5 March 2017). "Ex-Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes charged over P1.5B Malampaya fund mess". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  26. ↑ "Tough predictions for Palawan". People's Weekend Brigada News (in English and Filipino). Vol. 14, no. 662. Parañaque. 14–15 May 2010. p. 4. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  27. ↑ "SC unseats Palawan vice governor". Rappler. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
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