Media urged: Don't write "misleading headlines"

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador hopes that the court will not be swayed by public opinions and “misleading headlines” on the circumstances surrounding the investigation into the murder of Ellah Joy Pique.

Comendador, who is also designated spokesperson of the Task Force Ellah Joy, likewise appealed to the members of the media not to write misleading information.

“Ang amo lang unta nga dili maapektuhan ang atong korte sa public opinions,” Comendador said.

He corrected yesterday’s news headlines which say the police mislead the court into issuing a search warrant against Ruby Bella Santos, owner of the Mitsubishi Pajero seized by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7.

Comendador said the court was only trying to clarify the plate number of the vehicle.

“Moingon sila na gi-tamper sa pulis ang plate number LHJ-382. Mao man na’y nakita sa mga witnesses. In fact, kanang LHJ-382 wala na sa first checking namo,” Comendador explained.

Comendador said it is impossible for them to tamper the plate because they did not know the witnesses in the first place.

“If naa’y inconsistencies sa ilang mga testimonies that’s because wala man gud sila gi-briefing. Unya nabag-uhan sila kay first time nila sa korte. And that minor inconsistencies only indicate na nagsulti sila sa tinuod. Inconsistencies are badges of truth,” he said.

Comendador said they have nothing against Santos for them to manufacture evidence against her. He said it just happened that the witnesses point at her and her boyfriend Ian Charles Griffiths as the ones responsible in the kidnapping and murder of Pique.

“She has to face the music na naa’y mga witnesses mibarog against niya,” Comendador said.

Comendador believes that Santos and her lawyers are doing trying to twist public opinions hoping that they can get away with it like Karen Esdrelon and Erik Sven Berger.

Esdrelon and Berger were first suspected of the crime and were even charged with kidnapping with homicide before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. The complaint however was dismissed after they were able to prove their whereabouts on the day Pique was abducted.

“I do believe na gigamit lang niya ang strategy ni Berger and Esdrelon para makalingkawas siya aning kaso,” Comendador said.

Santos and her Briton boyfriend are already facing criminal complaints for kidnapping with homicide before the prosecutor’s office.

They are trying to quash the search warrant earlier issued by the court which resulted to the recovery of several items in her house in Inayagan, Naga City, including the Pajero, which the police could use as evidence against them in the case.  (FREEMAN)