Tuesday, May 06, 2008 Editorials: Judging the judge in Ecleo case
REGIONAL Trial Court Judge Geraldine Faith Econg is in an ironic situation in the parricide case against Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association’s Ruben Ecleo Jr.
After the prosecution sought her inhibition from the case for alleged bias, all eyes are suddenly focused on her next moves: the judge’s integrity is now being judged.
The prosecution’s action showed loss of faith (no pun intended), which is subjective and imbued with emotion and, therefore, difficult to gloss over or contradict.
The prosecution’s assessment of Econg’s actuation that prompted them to seek her inhibition from the case may be wrong, and Econg may have been unfairly judged.
But perception of bias will now be hounding her, which may not be good.
Contrasting views
Executive Judge Fortunato de Gracia is correct about the effect of Econg’s inhibition in a case that has dragged on for years and already handled by several judges.
There is logic, then, in his denial of Econg’s decision to inhibit from the case.
But the contrary view is also logical: the integrity of the judge handling the Ecleo case must not be tainted, considering its nature and the emotionalism blanketing it.
Unique case
The Ecleo case is a case like no other, at once tragic and tragicomic.
Tragic because of the trail of blood that followed the twists and turns of the case: the more than 20 Ecleo followers killed in Dinagat when he resisted arrest, the “massacre” of the family of his slain wife Alona Bacolod and the shooting to death of the case’s private prosecutor Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco.
Tragicomic because of the attempt of whoever was behind Cedric Devinadera to muddle the Ecleo case by ordering Cedric to “confess” that he helped Alona’s brother, Ben, kill her.
Dilemma
So the choice is either to gloss over the prosecution’s beef against Econg by allowing her to continue handling the case and eventually resolving it or to have Econg inhibit herself from the case, thereby delaying its resolution further.
It’s a dilemma Econg and de Gracia must look into again if necessary, guided by an honest intention to serve the ends of justice and not by selfish or dubious reasons.
