Santos gives goods to fire victims

CEBU, Philippines - Bella Ruby Santos, one of the accused in the abduction and killing of six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique, donated five sacks of rice and one box of assorted canned goods and noodles to the fire victims of barangays Carreta and Tejero.

It was her lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo who went to a TV station yesterday to hand over the donations saying he received a text message from Santos last Wednesday about 10 p.m. directing him to give donations to the fire victims.

“The donation is done with the best intentions to help the fire victims. It will not harm anyone, on the contrary it can help fill hungry stomachs,” he said.

The defense lawyer added giving donations was normal to Santos as prior to her case she sent her niece and the children of her friends to school. He also said she invites people to go to her house if there is a celebration.

“This is a plain and simple move, she did it for no other reason but to help the people who are in need,” he said.

Villagonzalo added maybe Santos saw the incident on TV.

He maintains he does not know where Santos is but claimed she will surrender at the right time to the court authorities but not to the police.

As to the whereabouts of her boyfriend Briton Ian Charles Griffiths, his co-accused in the case, Villa-gonzalo said he was doing well and good and is now studying to file counter-charges.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna said the move of the defense in giving donations was only a gimmick.

“It is a laudable act for any person to give assistance to the recent fire victims but the unfortunate conflagration which affected many should not be used as a platform to further one’s hidden agenda. It is a cheap trick and gimmick unworthy of emulation. It does not make a person less guilty in the public eye,” he said.

A total of 150 families lost their homes when a fire hit sitios Tera Cora, Sambag and Laurentein in Barangay Tejero and Sitio Ponce 2 in Barangay Carreta last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the provincial government will augment the effort of the PNP in the search for Santos by giving an “interesting amount” yet undisclosed.

Seeing the effort of the PNP, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia plans to offer a bigger cash incentive to those who can give information that would lead to the arrest of Santos.

“It’s time for the provincial government to come in and we have the tipster program,” Garcia said.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, head of the Task Force Ellah Joy, said though they have less resources still their eagerness to solve the case prompted them to use their own income in order to reach justice.

“Money is the greatest motivator and besides wa mi mangayo sa mga tao, amo ning kuwarta,” Comendador said.

Just recently, Comendador said they already collected P32,000 in less than a week and they will no longer accept any donations after the week ends.

Pique was abducted in Minglanilla last February and found dead a day later. (FREEMAN)