Prosecution fails to cross-examine Ecleo

CEBU, Philippines – The prosecution failed to cross-examine cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr., yesterday after his counsel moved for its rescheduling as he allegedly suffered high blood pressure.

The continuation of the accused's testimony however continued where he denied any hand in the killing of his wife, Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, and accused her brother, Josebil Bacolod, of lying.

For more than an hour, Ecleo, elected congressman of Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, sat on the witness stand and answered the questions raised by defense lawyer Orlando Salatandre.

Ecleo claimed that the statements of Josebil were all false. One of these is when Josebil claimed he saw Ecleo and somebody left their house in Forrest Hills in Banawa, on January 5, 2002, which is allegedly not true because he had lots of visitors that time.

The supreme master of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association also said he did not even saw Josebil a day before the incident as what the latter is claiming.

Josebil said that he was at the house of the couple and he noticed they quarreled before she went missing.

Ecleo however explained that if Josebil heard shouts, it were his visitors at the living room and some PBMA members who were outside their house.

The cult leader also denied there were commotions inside the master's bedroom.

"Not true. Since I arrived on January 4 until the 5th, I haven't seen him (Josebil) in the house," Ruben told his lawyer during his testimony.

Ecleo believes Josebil was brainwashed by his brother, Ben, who probably got irked at Ecleo after he failed to give him money.

"I remembered that Boboy or Ben asked money from me but I failed to give him and he got mad. I have no money at that moment and he asked a big amount of money," Ecleo said.

Ecleo also denied for the second time that the dead body found in Dalaguete days after Alona went missing was not hers. 

Salatandre showed him the picture of the cadaver and asked him if it was his wife's body. Ecleo said it was not his wife's cadaver as he describes his wife as "sexy" and the one in the picture has big body.

Ecleo said from January 6 to January 8, he called Alona a countless times but her phone just kept on ringing until it went off. Within those days, he said he was attending to the programs of PBMA chapters in the cities of Talisay, Lapu-Lapu and Bogo.

Meanwhile, Salatandre told the court they were supposed to move for the cancellation of the hearing yesterday but Ecleo himself insisted to continue his testimony.

Salatandre explained his client suffered high blood pressure before yesterday's trial.

Judge Soliver Peras rescheduled the cross-examination in the afternoon of October 27.

Ecleo surrendered to police on June 19, 2002 after a bloody gunfight between the police and PBMA followers, leaving at least 23 people killed.

The police went to San Jose town on Dinagat Islands to serve a warrant for Ecleo's arrest but violence erupted when his followers resisted.

In 2004, RTC Branch 23 judge Generosa Labra granted Ecleo's bail, set at P1 million because of his alleged heart ailment. A doctor had called him a "walking time-bomb."

But the prosecution recently filed a motion asking to cancel his bail, questioning why despite being a "walking time-bomb" for more than six years now, Ecleo was healthy enough to run and win as congressman in last May's elections.

The motion is still pending for resolution. (FREEMAN)