Court asks Ecleo's position on DNA sampling of his son

Following the prosecution's motion compelling the 12-year-old son of parricide suspect Ruben Ecleo Jr. to submit to a DNA sampling, Regional Trial Court Judge Geraldine Faith Econg ordered the counsels of the accused to file their formal opposition, so she can rule finally on the motion. Econg gave Ecleo's counsels 10 days, from receipt of her order issued last July 18, 'to file their comment to the motion of the prosecution."

The prosecution last week asked the court to issue an order compelling Ecleo's son to a DNA sampling, as a way of resolving the identity of the female corpse found in barangay Coro, Dalaguete town three years ago. The corpse has been believed to be that of Alona, the mother of the boy and the murdered wife of Ecleo. The prosecution has insisted that a DNA test on the boy could resolve the identity of the corpse. But the boy had earlier expressed resistance to the genetic sampling saying his involvement in the case may further exposed him to public ridicule, which already affected him after his father became the suspect in her mother's murder.

Prosecution lawyers Manuel Monzon, Democrito Barcenas, Fritz Quiñanola and Alfredo Sipalay argued however that the DNA sampling "does not infringe on either the right against unreasonable searches and seizures or on the right to privacy." - Liv G. Campo