“We also grieve over what we as a people have allowed to fester: public servants who steal before our very eyes and openly get away with murder.”

MANILA — Fifteen years after the assassination of environmental journalist Dr. Gerry Ortega, his family continues to wait for justice as the trial over his killing remains unresolved.

Ortega, a radio broadcaster for DWAR in Palawan, was shot dead by unknown assailants on January 24, 2011. He was a staunch critic of large-scale mining operations in the province and used his radio program to expose environmentally destructive projects and corruption involving powerful political figures, including former Palawan governor Joel T. Reyes.

Reyes, who has long been tagged as the mastermind behind Ortega’s killing, had evaded arrest for years until his eventual surrender in September 2024. 

In 2025, the Sandigangbayan convicted Reyes for 11 counts of graft in connection with the P1.53 billion worth of Malampaya funds– an issue Ortega had publicly exposed during his lifetime.

Despite the conviction, no verdict has been handed down in the murder of Ortega.

In a statement released on January 24, 2026, the Ortega family believes that the years have slowly withered away the values of accountability and integrity, the very values that their family has firmly held on to throughout their years of seeking justice.

“We remember him today not only with grief but with a sober awareness of our years of struggle,” they said.

The family also condemned the continued tolerance of corruption and violence by public officials.

“We also grieve over what we as a people have allowed to fester: public servants who steal before our very eyes and openly get away with murder,” the statement said.

International observers join the call for justice

The international community also vows to continue to keep its eyes on the proceedings of the Ortega case. 

The embassies of Finland and Germany, the current co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition, issued a joint statement urging the judiciary to ensure full accountability in the Ortega case.

“While there have been movements in the legal proceedings in the past decade, the pursuit of full accountability remains essential in breaking the cycle of impunity that threatens media workers,” the statement said. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

International press freedom watchdogs Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and international coalition A Safer World for the Truth also paid tribute to Ortega and renewed calls for a swift and impartial trial.

“The murder of Gerry Ortega is emblematic of the entrenched impunity in journalist killings in the Philippines,” said CPJ Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi. 

“After 15 years, there has been no full justice for his family. The Philippine government must ensure that the trial of the prime suspect proceeds without undue delay.”

RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau Advocacy Manager Aleksandra Bielakowska said the case carries broader implications for press freedom in the country.

“The Philippine judicial system must ensure a fair, swift, and impartial trial that ends in a credible resolution—not only for Ortega, but for the many journalists who continue to risk their lives in pursuit of the truth,” she said.

Despite the long struggle, the Ortega family remains steadfast.

Patria Gloria Ortega recalled her husband’s commitment to exposing how corruption deprived ordinary people of their rights and dignity.

“While Palawan is rich in natural resources, many of its people live in poverty,” she said. “Politicians held extravagant birthday parties on yachts while ordinary citizens struggled to access basic healthcare. His broadcasts exposed how corruption robbed communities of their dignity.”

“We remain defiant,” the family said. “Yes, justice delayed is justice denied. But as long as we remember Doc Gerry Ortega’s legacy, justice remains possible.” (RVO)