Amante preempts task force, bares Pique murder suspects

CEBU, Philippines - While officials of the composite task force investigating the kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique have been very cautious in naming the suspects, lawyer Daryll Roque Amante yesterday preempted the police by telling the media that they are already filing charges against the owner of a Sports Utility Vehicle currently in police custody and her British boyfriend.

Amante, counsel of the victim’s father Renante Pique, said they now have “strong evidence” against Bella Ruby Santos and her boyfriend Ian Charles Griffith.

The police have not officially tagged Santos and Griffith as suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Pique.

But Amante said they already have at least 12 eyewitnesses who identified Santos and Griffith as the alleged culprits.

“We have now new witnesses, we will not use the three children as witnesses but if there will be relevance to the case, then we’ll see it,” Amante said.

Amante explained why it took so long for the police to file the case against the suspects. According to him, they made sure that their evidence is strong.

 “We will file the case as long as the result of the evidences we submitted for DNA testing will be out,” Amante said.

The questions on the validity of the search warrant also contributed to the delay in the filing of the case, Amante said.

Meanwhile, the court has scheduled on Friday the hearing of the motion to quash search warrant filed by Santos and Griffith. They claimed the implementation of the search warrant was illegal.

The police earlier searched the residence of Santos in Barangay Inayagan, Naga City. During the search the police took into custody a Mitsubishi Pajero believed to have been used in the kidnapping and murder of Pique.

Pique was kidnapped on February 8 outside Calajoan Elementary School in Minglanilla. She was found dead in a cliff in Barangay Guimbuangan, Barili a day after.   (FREEMAN NEWS)