Court denies request to cancel Ecleo’s passport

CEBU, Philippines - Citing lack of factual and legal basis, the court denied the request of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 to cancel the passport of former Dinagat Island congressman and convicted felon Ruben Ecleo Jr.

“This court cannot see any reason why the passport of the accused has to be cancelled,” the order reads.

Earlier, CIDG 7 Director Senior Supt. Jose Pante requested Judge Soliver Peras, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 10, to order the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel Ecleo’s passport to prevent him from leaving the country.

“May we respectfully request that this Honorable Court will direct Assistant Secretary Jaime Victor Ledda to cancel the passport of Ecleo and include his name in the DFA’s Lookout List database,” the letter read.

Prosecution lawyer Kit Enriquez, however, said the request of CIDG was useless because of the existing hold departure order issued by the court.

Enriquez said Ecleo, who remained at large, is already barred from leaving the country even if he has his passport.

In its comment, Ecleo’s camp said the CIDG cannot seek the cancellation of Ecleo’s passport as they were not a party to the case.

Ecleo, Supreme Master of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) was convicted of parricide in 2011 for killing his wife, Alona, in 2002.

He was sentenced to 20 to 40 years imprisonment.

In his order, Peras said the CIDG failed to cite valid grounds that would warrant the granting of the request.

He said if the ground of CIDG was the conviction of Ecleo, it does not “justify” the request and it is the prosecution that has the authority to ask for it.

 â€œThe court is even wondering why (Ecleo’s) passport has to be cancelled. Was there any negligence report that accused had already escaped from the Philippines and had established a hideout elsewhere?” the order stated.

Aside from his conviction in the parricide case, Ecleo was also convicted of graft and corruption before the Sandiganbayan.

He was charged for anomalous transactions during his stint as mayor of San Jose town in Dinagat, Surigao del Norte.

Meanwhile, Ecleo’s appeal to reverse his parricide conviction is still pending before the Court of Appeals-Visayas. — (FREEMAN)