Ecleo parricide trial to end by December

CEBU, Philippines - Almost ten years since Alona Bacolod-Ecleo was found dead in Dalaguete town, the parricide case against her husband Ruben Ecleo Jr. will now draw to a close.

Regional Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras of Branch 10 has tentatively set the promulgation of the case against the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association cult leader for Dec. 16, 2011.

He directed both parties to file their respective memoranda after the defense counsel terminated its presentation of witnesses.

Defense lawyer Orlando Salatandre presented their last witness Margie Pasquil, a helper of the Ecleo family, last Wednesday, to rebut the testimonies of prosecution witness Josebil Bacolod, a brother of Alona.

Pasquil, who is living with the siblings of Ecleo in Washington Street, Quezon City, said she has been a house helper of the Ecleo family since 1996.

She said she was a PBMA member since birth as her parents were also PBMA members. Pasquil testified that on January 4 and 5, 2002 she was in the house of Ecleo in Sitio Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe, and did not see Josebil contrary to the statement of the latter.

“On January 4, we arrived in Banawa from San Jose, Dinagat, wherein we spent our Christmas vacation there. On our arrival I did not see Josebil and it was on January 6 when I was able to see him in the common kitchen while eating,” she said.

Pasquil said on January 5, 2002 they had many visitors in the house contrary to the statements of Josebil.

“I got some sleep at around 11 p.m. because we had many visitors in the house and I did not hear any shout at 9:30 p.m.,” she said.

She added on same date Alona together with her brother Ben left the house and did not come back.

She said she asked the guard, a certain “Noli”, if Alona had returned yet but was told she had not.

Pasquil likewise refuted the testimony of Josebil when the latter claimed he heard his sister shouting for help and then saw Ecleo and bodyguard Jorebil Panadero carrying a plastic bag and putting it in the baggage compartment of a vehicle.

Earlier, Josebil testified in court that on January 5, 2002 at around 9:30 pm he heard his sister shout for help, prompted him to rush to the master’s bedroom where Ecleo and Alona were staying.

There, he reportedly saw Ecleo shirtless and drenched in sweat.

Josebil said he stayed in the house of his sister Alona in Banawa as she asked him to stay there with her while she studied.

Josebil was presented during the prosecution’s rebuttal witness to refute Ecleo’s earlier testimony that there were visitors in the house in the evening of January 5, 2002, thus, it was impossible for him to have committed the crime. Josebil said they did not have visitors at that time. 

Peras is the seventh judge assigned to the case.

The other judges who handled the Ecleo case before Peras were Galicano Arriesgado, who issued the original warrant for Ecleo’s arrest; Olegario Sarmiento, who denied the motion to quash it; Generosa Labra, who granted him bail; Anacleto Caminade, who signed the release order; and Ireneo Gako Jr., who was the first to begin hearing the case with Ecleo out of jail and Geraldine Faith Econg.  (FREEMAN)