Ecleo parricide case: Prosecutors okay with meeting on inhibition
The prosecution in the parricide case against cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr. has accepted the offer of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Fortunato de Gracia Jr. for a meeting with the defense to settle their plea for the inhibition of RTC Judge Garaldine Faith Econg from the case.
“I’m very much welcome to the suggestion of the honorable executive judge, but I cannot set the date of the meeting yet because I will first get in touch with the defense lawyers if they will agree to meet with all the interested parties of the case,” said prosecution lawyer Alfredo Sipalay.
De Gracia is strongly opposed that Judge Econg will inhibit from handling the six-year old parricide case and he is hoping that the prosecution will withdraw their intention and instead they will allow the incumbent presiding judge to finally resolve the case maybe late this year.
Sipalay and fellow prosecution lawyer Fritz V. Quinanola asked Econg to inhibit from the case because they believe that she is no longer impartial in handling the issue, although Econg has strongly denied such claim.
De Gracia also wants Judge Econg to attend the meeting so she could properly explain her side to all parties, particularly on the accusation that she is already biased against the prosecution.
Judge Econg did not confirmed that she will attend the meeting, but just said “I’ll just wait for the notice.”
Ecleo, through his counsels Orlando Salatandre and Giovanni Mata, has already submitted his comment strongly objecting to the motion for inhibition because it will drag the case for another year.
Since in 2002, Ecleo’s the hearing of parricide case has been transferred from one court to another – and Judge Econg is the sixth judge to handle the case because the prosecution will always accused the presiding judges of being biased against them.
But Ecleo described the prosecution’s move as a mere ploy and machination to further delay the proceedings and to shop for a friendly judge who will ultimately render ruling favorable to them.
Ecleo, the supreme master of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) and former mayor of
- Latest
- Trending
