Panel forwards findings on Ella Joy case

CEBU, Philippines - The three-man panel on the complaint filed against Bella Ruby Santos and her boyfriend, Ian Charles Griffiths, has endorsed last Friday their findings to Acting Provincial Prosecutor’s Office Joseph Berciles for approval.

Prosecutor Maria Luisa Ong revealed that they already came up with a unified stand on whether to dismiss the complaint or to file a case before the court.

 Ong refused to disclose their findings. She said this will be revealed through the media once their resolution gets approval from Berciles.

Berciles was assigned to review the findings of the three-man panel.

Ong stated that if Berciles will amend their findings, the resolution will no longer be given back to them as it is Berciles’ duty to change it.

Santos and Griffiths are facing a complaint for the kidnapping and death of Ellah Joy Pique, a six-year-old girl, as she was on her way home from school last February 8, 2011. Pique was a Grade 1 student from the Calajoan Elementary School in Minglanilla.

Witnesses revealed they saw Pique onboard a vehicle with a Filipina and a foreigner. Pique’s body was found in a cliff in Barili town on February 9, 2011.

However, Rameses Villagonzalo, the lawyer of the respondents, is confident that his clients are innocent.

Villagonzalo filed two motions seeking for the dismissal of the complaint, stating that no evidence was found to indict his clients. — (FREEMAN)