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Friday, January 28, 2005
Ecleos deny chase, let escorts explain lapses
Surigao O del Norte Rep. Glenda Ecleo yesterday denied there was a chase between their camp and a Lapu-Lapu City Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team, which stopped their vehicle Wednesday night and intercepted their two police escorts.
She said they were even the ones who opted to stop after they noticed that the other vehicles in their convoy were no longer tailing their vehicle.
But the Ecleos admitted, though, that PO3 Warlito Acain and PO2 Romeo Ecle, who were held by Lapu-Lapu City authorities, are their police escorts.
They denied knowing whether the two Surigao del Norte policemen’s firearms were licensed or not.
Glenda’s son Benglen, who is now the mayor of San Jose, Dinagat, Surigao del Norte, admitted that one of the two policemen held was his police escort. The other one is detailed to his mother.
“Yes, we were surprised that they were stopped. Our vehicles were just moving slowly, so there was really no chase that occurred,” Benglen said.
His brother Ruben Ecleo Jr., who is facing a parricide case in one of the courts in Cebu City for allegedly killing his wife Alona, only said, “Wala ko kabantay ato” (I didn’t notice anything) and that his lawyers would be the ones to comment on it.
Glenda, Ruben Jr., Benglen and some relatives were in Ceabu for the resumption of the hearing of the parricide case against Ruben Jr., who is accused of killing his wife Alona in January 2002.
Lapu-Lapu City police investigators are now verifying the documents presented by PO3 Acain and PO2 Ecle.
Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Director Ramon Flores de Jesus was the one who signed the mission order authorizing the two policemen to escort Glenda.
But according to the rules, Caraga Police Regional Director Rene Elumbaring is the one who can authorize the policemen to escort VIPs.
De Jesus’ order did not specify what firearms PO3 Acain and PO2 Ecle will be carrying.
“They (two policemen) should better answer if they committed an offense. As to the legal aspect on the incident, I leave it to them,” Glenda said in an interview.
Last Dec. 3, eight members of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) were also arrested at a checkpoint in Lapu-Lapu after a Swat team found a cache of firearms and ammunition in their possession.
Ruben Jr. is the leader of the PBMA.
After the incident last Wednesday, Glenda said they will correct their mistake in getting mission orders for their police escorts.
“We do not have any intention to run. Our conscience is clear. We went here because of the order
of the court,” Glenda said.
She said they only got mission orders from Supt. de Jesus, instead of Elumbaring, because they were in a hurry. (GN/OCP)
(January 28, 2005 issue)
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