CEBU, Philippines – Prosecution lawyers handling the parricide case of Surigao-based cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr. will not ask for the inhibition of Regional Trial Court Branch 10 Judge Soliver Peras as there are no sufficient grounds yet to take him out of the case.
In a closed door meeting yesterday with the vice-president of the Crusade Against Violence Thelma Chiong and some Bacolod family members, Atty. Fritz Quiñanola said that they will not be asking for the inhibition of the judge as the “kababayan” issue is not a ground.
Quiñanola, and other counsels — Alfredo Sipalay, Democrito Barcenas, and Nicetas Ybañez were also present in the meeting.
Quiñanola said though, that they will keep track and continue with their monitoring on the case to make sure that everything will go on smoothly.
He expressed optimism that the case will end this year already as the judge handling the case is competent.
Quiñanola said that the first thing that they will be asking Judge Peras to resolve is to bring Ecleo back to jail as they believe that he has already recovered from the illness, which was the basis for allowing him to post bail.
“He is not a walking time bomb anymore. That is the first issue that Peras will have to work on once the case will start,” he said.
Chiong earlier expressed concern that Judge Peras might be biased for Ecleo because he and the defense lawyer Orlando Salatandre come from the same province of Zamboanga del Norte. She even said the two are relatives.
Chiong wants Peras to inhibit from handling the case to avoid suspicion.
Peras is from Sindangan town, some 80 kilometers from the province’s capital, Dipolog City.
Salatandre is from Rizal town, 40 kilometers from Dipolog going to another direction.
The Ecleo case has dragged on for years now and has been handled by at least six judges. – Jasmin R. Uy/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)