Defense pursues bid to bail, lift warrant

CEBU, Philippines - The joint motion for reconsideration filed by the lawyers of Bella Ruby Santos and her boyfriend Ian Charles Griffiths to lift the warrant of arrest against them has been set for resolution.

This after Regional Trial Court Branch 6 Judge Ester Veloso dismissed their omnibus motion to lift the warrant and the determination of probable cause on the grounds of being moot and academic.

The defense team also filed a motion to allow the posting of bail with a prayer for marathon hearing yesterday.

Veloso questioned how Santos can be arraigned on Monday if there are too many pending motions filed.

Lawyer Jo-ann Pabriaga of the Children’s Legal Bureau said the motion filed by the defense was premature but defense lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo disagreed.

“Our motion is not premature we asked for the treatment of our motion after the arraignment on Monday,” Villagonzalo said.

Another defense lawyer, Ronel Ubod, said they are filing a petition for bail on the basis of the case against their clients being weak.

Among their bases, Ubod said, is that no one saw who killed the victim Ellah Joy Pique, the police seized the wrong vehicle, the police withheld the release of the DNA results, and the cartographic sketches did not match the facial and physical description of Santos and Griffiths.

Villagonzalo also claimed a retired Canadian businessman offered a P100,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the owner of the black SUV with license plate numbers ending in 679. Three of Pique’s schoolmates in Minglanilla town said she was taken on board such an SUV.

Villagonzalo said the Canadian, a former law teacher, believes Santos and Griffiths are innocent of the crime.

Meanwhile, Griffiths is now under the watchlist of the Interpol, said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna.

He said Griffiths can be arrested but cannot be brought to the Philippines as there is no extradition treaty between the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

Griffiths and Santos are accused for abducting and killing Pique last February. (FREEMAN)