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Thursday, December 16, 2004
Judge to Ecleo: Stay in Cebu or face arrest
By Grecar Nilles and Karlon N. Rama
CEBU CITY -- Judge Geraldine Faith Econg on Wednesday parricide suspect Ruben Ecleo Jr. that he will be arrested again, if he insists on staying in Manila or Surigao del Norte.
Econg said that staying in Manila or in his mansion in San Jose, Dinagat, Surigao del Norte was a violation of the former mayor’s bail bond and release order issued in Cebu.
“It is stipulated in the release order that your address is in Cebu City, but you are actually living in Manila. You’d better stay in Cebu City, else I would issue another warrant for your arrest or direct you to post another bond if you would transfer residence,” Econg said in open court.
The court, however, allowed Ecleo to spend Christmas and New Year in his hometown.
As this developed, a hold-departure order was also issued Wednesday against Ecleo, leader of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA), to prevent him from leaving the country.
Wednesday’s meeting between the court and other two parties was supposedly for a chamber conference, but the throng of PBMA members, police and the media prompted Judge Econg to hold the conference in her sala.
13 lawyers
It was also the first time Ecleo, who is accused of killing his wife Alona Bacolod-Ecleo last Jan. 5, 2002, met Judge Econg of the Regional Trial Court’s (RTC) Branch 9.
Five judges—Olegario Sarmiento Jr., Galicano Arriesgado, Generosa Labra, Anacleto Caminade and Ireneo Lee Gako Jr.—earlier inhibited themselves from the case.
In an interview, Judge Econg said that Ecleo himself had assured her that he will just stay in his residence in Banawa, Cebu City.
Ecleo’s lawyers Orlando Salatandre Jr. and Giovanni Mata also assured the court that they will inform the court and the prosecution if Ecleo has to leave Cebu City.
Meanwhile, 13 Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) lawyers formally entered their appearance in the parricide case against Ecleo.
They are IBP leaders Manuel Monzon and Democrito Barcenas, Fritz Quiñanola, Alfredo Sipalay, Kit Enriquez, Gerardo A. Carillo, Annabelle G. Pulvera, Augustine M. Vestil, Alex P. Tolentino, Joan Dymphna Saniel-Amit, Francisco O. Amit Jr., Nicetas S. Ybañez, Ma. Gina S. Co and Rodolfo C. Acido.
Motions
The prosecution panel also told the court that they only have two witnesses, at most, to present before they will close their presentation of evidence.
The prosecution withdrew its motion to increase Ecleo’s bail bond after the court issued the hold-departure order.
The defense, on the other hand, also withdrew its motion for the prosecution to rest its case.
Ecleo put up P1 million as bail last April, after nearly two years in detention.
Judge Econg approved the prosecution’s request for a hold-departure order because the parricide case against Ecleo is a serious offense.
She also denied Wednesday the defense’s motion for the deferment of the hearing of the case because of its pending petition with the Supreme Court for the transfer of venue.
Approach
The defense has argued that Cebu is “a hostile environment.”
Instead, Econg scheduled hearings of the case until November 2005.
Econg, who stepped down from the podium a few times, also asked brothers Ben, Josebil and Ricky Bacolod if it is not inconvenient on their part to show up for the hearings.
“I approached the Bacolod brothers because I found them so tense during the conference. I tried to check if they have concerns about their security during the hearings. They told me they are fine,” Econg said.
The Bacolod siblings are under the protective custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 after their parents, elder brother Ben and a sister were gunned down in their home in Mandaue City last June 18, 2002.
Ecleo was arrested that same night in Surigao, after a standoff with police, in which at least 17 of his followers were killed while trying to stop his capture.
(December 16, 2004 issue)
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