Showing of Bella Santos' USB contents postponed

CEBU, Philippines - Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Meinrado Paredes yesterday suspended the scheduled showing of the video contents of the USB flash drive recovered from the house of Bella Ruby Santos last March 4.

Paredes granted the request of lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna, counsel of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 which searched the house of Santos on suspicion she was involved in the abduction and killing of six-year old Ellah Joy Pique on February 8.

Dela Cerna told the court that a government information technology (IT) expert should be present during the viewing of the USB’s contents to explain whether some of the videos were just inserted or the gadget was tampered with.

At first, Paredes asked Dela Cerna to cite the specific provisions in the Rule on Electronics Evidence that there should be a government IT expert present when these are opened and viewed during court trials, but Dela Cerna said he can make it in his pleadings.

Paredes had appointed three persons to play and view the contents of the flash drive. But he granted the CIDG lawyer’s request to postpone in yesterday’s hearing where Santos was present.

The judge announced, though, that sex scenes would be forwarded to respect the respondent’s privacy.

According to Paredes, if nothing in the video will show any pictures related to the abduction case of Pique, he will order the return of the USB flash drive to its owner.

Dela Cerna was ordered to submit his pleadings in five days to cite the law requiring a government IT expert to be present.

The respondent’s lawyer will be also given five days for her to submit her comment.

Santos and her British boyfriend were the second set of suspects charged by the police before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s office, after state prosecutors dismissed the earlier case filed against Karen Esdrelon and her Norwegian boyfriend Sven Erik Berger. (FREEMAN)