Veloso to handle Pique case

CEBU, Philippines - The case for kidnapping with homicide against Bella Ruby Santos and her boyfriend Briton Ian Charles Griffiths was raffled to Regional Trial Court Branch 6 Judge Ester Veloso yesterday.

Veloso will hear today the urgent motion filed by the Children’s Legal Bureau counsel for the prosecution for the issuance of a hold-departure order.

Following the move of Santos in selling her house and her vehicle, the CLB is now asking the court to issue a hold departure order against Santos. The CLB likewise asked the court for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against her.

However, defense lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo said they will challenge the seeking of a hold departure order and plans to file a motion for the determination of probable cause to prevent the issuance of the warrant of arrest.

The scheduled viewing of the flash disk owned by Santos in the sala of Judge Meinrado Paredes of RTC Branch 13 was also deferred after the Information Technology expert of Paredes did not appear in court.

Paredes yesterday ordered to stop the hearing of the questioned search warrant in his sala since Veloso is now handling the case. He said he will turn over all the evidence to Veloso after a formal motion will be filed before him.

Both the counsels of the CLB and the defense are confident their evidence will put the court in their favor.

Santos and Griffiths are accused of abducting and killing six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique who was found dead last February.

Roland Arao, the caretaker of Santos, said she is not in hiding and is still here in Cebu.   - (THE FREEMAN)