Palace backs ouster of Ecleo from House

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang supports the House of Representatives’ decision to drop former Dinagat Islands Rep. Ruben Ecleo from its rolls.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Ecleo is not worthy to remain as member of the House if he had decided to hide instead of facing the accusations against him.

“This (removal of Ecleo from the House) is a decision of the House based on their internal rules and we respect it,” Lacierda told government radio station dzRB.

The House of Representatives announced the removal of Ecleo from the House roster last Friday, after the Supreme Court had upheld his conviction on various graft cases.

On May 22, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. issued a memorandum ordering House majority leader Rep. Neptali Gonzales II to delete Ecleo’s name from the rolls.

Belmonte noted that the Supreme Court had upheld the Sandiganbayan’s conviction of Ecleo on at least three cases of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act “in which perpetual disqualification from office forms part of the penalty.”

On April 13, the Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 10 sentenced Ecleo to 40 years in jail for killing his wife Alona in 2002.

Ecleo, who has been in hiding since 2010, was also ordered to pay P25.62 million to the family of his wife.

Last February, the high court denied with finality Ecleo’s appeal to reverse a Sandiganbayan ruling slapping him with a 31-year jail term for graft and corruption.

The former lawmaker is the leader of the group Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association.

Commission on Elections commissioner Rene Sarmiento had said there might be no special elections to fill up the post vacated by Ecleo due to lack of time.