Special panel of prosecutors for Ellah Joy case

CEBU, Philippines - Regional State Prosecutor (RSP) Fernando Gubalane plans to create a special panel of prosecutors for the case involving the death of six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique.

This was revealed by Cebu Provincial Prosecutor Jane Petralba in an interview with reporters yesterday.

The special panel is needed because the high profile case involves mostly technical evidence.

“Since the case have more technical evidences, then more heads are better to prosecute the case,” she said.

  Petralba said the special panel will be composed of three or four public prosecutors that would include the resident prosecutor. She added that Gubalane already talked to senior prosecutor Petronio Elesterio to be part of the special panel.

She added the prosecution has more circumstantial evidence than direct evidence.

 Aside from the public prosecutor, Petralba said the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) and the counsel for the Criminal Investigation and Detective Group (CIDG) will collaborate and coordinate with the public prosecutors.

 Gubalane will create the special panel after the information of kidnapping with homicide charging Bella Ruby Santos and her British boyfriend Ian Charles Griffiths will be raffled by the court.

 A case conference for the preparation for the pre-trial will then be held.

Defense lawyers Roberto Roblico and Rameses Villagonzalo welcome this development, claiming they are confident on the evidences they have against that of the prosecution. (FREEMAN)