Witness: I saw Santos, Griffiths in Minglanilla

CEBU, Philippines - A nine-year-old girl has positively identified Bella Ruby Santos and Ian Charles Griffiths as the ones waiting outside the Calajoan Elementary School in Minglanilla town, last February 8, 2011.

Santos and Griffiths are the two accused in the kidnap with homicide case of six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique.

Lawyer Noemi Abarientos of Children’s Legal Bureau said the testimony of the minor witness was heard inside the chamber of Judge Ester Veloso.

Abarientos told the media the testimony of the minor established that Santos and her co-accused Ian Charles Griffiths were seen outside the school on the day Pique disappeared.

But defense counsel Rameses Villagonzalo said the testimony of the nine-year-old was favorable to them. 

After he was confined in the hospital for two days for asthma, Richard Ian Bruce Bansuan also appeared in court yesterday for the continuation of his direct testimony in the kidnapping with homicide case.

Previously, the hearing of the motion to post bail filed by Santos was postponed after Bansuan failed to appear in court after he suffered an asthma attack.

In his testimony, Bansuan said while heading towards Dumanjug town driving a motorcycle with a certain Ligaya Escultos, they saw a foreigner pull something from a sports utility vehicle and throw it down a cliff in Barili town. It was in the spot where Pique was later found.

They passed by the area around 11 p.m. on February 8, 2011 from a birthday party of their friend.

Bansuan said he memorized the letters of the license plate number of the vehicle, LHJ; while Escultos got the numbers, 382.

An SUV with the same plate number was recovered by the police from the house of Santos.

The cross-examination of Bansuan will be on July 23, 2012. Villagonzalo said they are ready to cross-examine Bansuan.

Prosecution lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna said they are set to present two or three more witnesses including Escultos to corroborate the testimony of Bansuan.

Santos and Griffiths are accused of kidnapping with homicide for the abduction and killing of Pique. Griffiths is still at large.  (FREEMAN)