Before trial resumes: Ecleo case judge calls for meeting

CEBU, Philippines - The new judge handling the parricide case against Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association supreme master Ruben Ecleo Jr. called on both the defense and the prosecution panels to a meeting next week to map out the security preparations for the resumption of the trial.

Lawyer Fritz Quiñanola, a member of the prosecution team, said they received an order from Regional Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras calling them to a meeting at 2 p.m. on July 21.

Quiñanola, one of the six lawyers who volunteered to prosecute the case after the murder of private prosecutor Arbet Santa Ana Yongco, said the meeting will be held at Peras’ chamber.

According to Quiñanola, police officials were also asked to attend the meeting to tackle security matters.

However, Quiñanola said the court has yet to set a date for the resumption of the trial, although he expects it to resume very soon.

Quiñanola said as soon as the trial resumes, the prosecution will move for the ruling of its pending motion to cancel Ecleo’s bail and bring him back to the Cebu City Jail.

The prosecution believes that Ecleo should be brought back to jail because he is no longer sick.

Quiñanola said there have been occasions that Ecleo was seen attending social gatherings and even the State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last year.

Ecleo was granted bail by Judge Generosa Labra, who was then handling the case, out of humanitarian reason after he presented a doctor’s certificate showing that he was terminally ill.

But Quiñanola said granting that Ecleo was sick at that time, he could have recovered already by now because he got the best doctor in the country. In fact, his doctor is also the doctor of former President Joseph Estrada.

Quiñanola said he would also ask during the meeting that the media be allowed to cover the trial for as long as it will not disturb the proceedings.

The trial of the case was suspended for more than a year after the inhibition of Judge Geraldine Faith Econg.

Econg’s inhibition from the case became controversial when then executive judge Fortunato De Gracia refused to approve it, causing the matter to be elevated to the Supreme Court.

The High Court then ruled in favor of Econg. – Fred P. Languido/LPM (THE FREEMAN)