Judge Econg to meet lawyers, complainants on Ecleo case

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Geraldine Faith Econg will meet the lawyers and complainants who want her to inhibit herself from the parricide case against Ruben Ecleo Jr.

The conference was supposed to be held with all parties of the case, but defense lawyer Orlando Salatandre already sent notice that he could not attend.

Econg was to meet private prosecutors Kit Enriquez, Fritz Quiñanola, Alfredo Sipalay and Nicetas Ybañez, the prosecution panel that asked her to inhibit herself from the case.

Bacolods

The Bacolod brothers are also expected to attend the conference. They signed the administrative complaint filed against Econg before the Supreme Court.

Josebil, Angelito and Ricky Bacolod are the surviving siblings of Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, who was found dead at a ravine in Dalaguete in January 2002. Alona’s husband Ruben, Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) supreme master, stands accused of strangling her.

Alona’s parents and two other siblings were killed months later by a PBMA member.

“I have sent notices to the parties for a chamber conference. I want us to discuss our views on the matter and how to resolve it. Even I don’t know what the remedy is," Econg earlier said in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu.

She has since made her inhibition from the case formal but RTC Executive Judge Fortunato de Gracia ordered her to stay on and finish hearing the case in 60 days.

The prosecution’s contention in seeking Econg’s inhibition was her alleged failure to resolve the prosecution’s formal offer of exhibits on the motion to cancel Ruben’s bail.

Ruben is out on a P1-million bail, which was granted for health reasons.

But the prosecution intends to contest de Gracia’s memorandum.

Quiñanola, spokesperson for the prosecution, said they will introduce a new argument when they submit their motion for reconsideration on de Gracia’s memorandum today.

He said the administrative complaint against Econg will bolster the prosecution’s intention to have Econg inhibit herself from handling the case.

“This (administrative complaint) is an added landscape for our motion for reconsideration. It creates more doubt on the objectivity of the judge," Quiñanola said in a mobile phone interview yesterday.

Doubt

“Biased or not, a judge should inhibit when there is already that doubt," he said.

The prosecution panel, the Bacolod brothers and the Crusade against Violence, led by Thelma Chiong, met yesterday to plot their next move. The motion for reconsideration is the result of that meeting.

“They (Bacolod brothers) are really dismayed that they can sense the bias," said Quiñanola.

The lawyer also said they cannot sacrifice the case just because it has taken a long time to finish it.

With the case having gone through six judges, Quiñanola said that it doesn’t matter as long as they get an assurance that the case will be handled with partiality.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, though, Quiñanola sees a decision in six months to a year.

The prosecution won’t say, however, that there will be no more motions for inhibition to expedite the case.

“That’s a matter of privilege," Quiñanola said. – Sun.Star Cebu