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Friday, January 28, 2005
Roperos: The Ecleo syndrome
By Godofredo M. Roperos
Politics Also
Once more the police was confronted with the Ecleo syndrome. It is a disease of our justice system resulting from giving too much thought on the rights of citizens.
There is the notion that an accused should be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. And an accused called Ruben Ecleo Jr., who is charged with killing his wife, believes he can remain free until convicted in Court for parricide.
And so, enchanted with such belief, Ecleo, along with his legal counsels, is now reportedly devoting his time to legally hamper the course of the judicial process. Thus, he has succeeded in having his case drag on for well over two years now, arousing quiet rage in people.
Indeed, I could not help but ask the four winds one time what the citizenry of Cebu did wrong to deserve Ecleo’s irreverence to public sentiments and lack of respect for the refined feelings of Cebu City’s civilized society.
First, there was the “money” phase of Ecleo’s incarceration. It was reported then that he played generous with money at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center where he was imprisoned before he was granted P1 million bail. In exchange, he was given certain privileges such as better jail accommodations.
Then came the “changing the judges” phase, when his legal counsels always found faults with the judges assigned to the case. His counsels kept petitioning judges to inhibit, resulting in a “rigodon de honor” of the case’s handlers.
I think the present judge on the case, Geraldine Faith Econg , is the fourth one. Recently, the Ecleo counsels also petitioned for her inhibition but this was denied.
The “fall guy” phase was when somebody confessed to having killed Ecelo’s wife. The fall guy was convicted, although the decision was set aside based on technicality later. Needless to say, the Supreme Court has already dismissed the judge who convicted the fall guy.
Finally, there was that phase of allegations—that there supposedly was an effort to sow terror in the hearts of those who are helping prosecute Ecleo.
And so there was the massacre of the Bacolod family, parents and siblings of Ecleo’s wife, Alona. And then, the killing, too, of the lady private prosecutor who was gunned down in her house many months ago. The suspects in the killings are members of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA), the religious cult of the Ecleos.
Some weeks ago, a group of PBMA members were arrested in a van in Lapu-Lapu City for reportedly bringing with them unlicensed long arms and ammunition. They were believed to be out on a mission.
And then the other day, another PBMA vehicle tried to run through a checkpoint. And when halted after a long chase, lo and behold! among the passengers in the vehicle were Ruben and his most ever most protective mother, Rep. Glenda Ecleo of Surigao del Norte.
I do not know what the Ecleo mother and son think about the people of Cebu. Do they think we are such a naïve people they can threaten us with death, or buy us with their money, or that they can do anything they want?
I think it is time we should let them know they are wrong on all counts. And we would like to have justice prevail in Ecleo Junior’s case.
(January 28, 2005 issue)
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