PNP to file Ella Joy case today

CEBU, Philippines - Chief Supt. Ager Ontog, director of Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, said they will be filing the case against the suspects of Ellah Joy Pique today.

“I am happy to report that the filing of the case will be very, very soon, not later than April 1,” Ontog said during yesterday’s monthly Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) forum.

The decision as to the date of the filing of the case came up, Ontog said, after he was briefed by Task Force Ellah Joy headed by Sr. Supt. Louie Oppus the other day about the progress of the case.

“The task force is composed of other agencies and so, I’m very confident this time our prosecutors will decide on our favor,” Ontog said.

The task force organized for the case is composed of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7, National Bureau of Investigation, Land Transportation Office, and several others.

Ontog admitted that the case is difficult so it took them until now to file the case.

“It’s not really a delay. It’s just that we gathered all the needed evidences. This is not an easy case. This is a difficult case because it’s very hard to get witnesses. We just want to make sure that this time, there’s no more error,” the police official said.

Earlier, the police, through the Cebu Provincial Police Office, arrested Cebuana nurse Karen Esdrelon and her Norwegian boyfriend, Erik Sven Berger after they were tagged as suspects to the kidnap-slay of Ellah Joy Pique.

Berger and Esdrelon were freed after the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office dismissed last February 28 the special complex crime of kidnapping charges filed against them by the CPPO.

Asked also about those lawyers who are accused of using Ellah Joy’s case to propel themselves to fame, Ontog said, “Hindi naman masama na tumulong ang mga private lawyers sa kaso. Kasi nga, this is a difficult case, kagustohan din siguro nilang tumulong.”

Meanwhile, the recovered items seized during the implementation of search warrant in the house of the owner of SUV were presented in court with the appearance of lawyers from both parties.

This was after Judge Meinrado Paredes granted the motion filed by the camp of Bella Ruby Santos and Ian Charles Griffith to view the seized items and to take photographs.

The counsel of Santos and Griffith, lawyer Anna Luz Cristal, admitted to the media that some items where lost during the implementation of search warrant.

Cristal said when the Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG) implemented the search warrant to search the house of Santos and Griffith in Naga City, Cebu, the rubber shoes and t-shirt of Santos and a kitchen knife were lost.

Cristal said her purpose of filing the motion, which was granted by the court, was to make sure the lost items were not seized by the CIDG. —(FREEMAN)