Witness complains of long grilling

CEBU, Philippines - The prosecution witness in the kidnapping with homicide case against Bella Ruby Santos yesterday complained of being tired in answering questions from the defense panel during cross-examination.

Richard Ian Bruce Bansuan, fourth prosecution witness in the kidnap-slaying of six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique last year, returned to the stand yesterday for cross-examination where he was asked to draw a sketch of the area where the victim’s body was thrown supposedly by Santos and her British boyfriend and co-accused Ian Charles Griffiths.

“Kapoy oi (I’m tired),” Bansuan complained.

He was however admonished by Regional Trial Court Branch 6 Judge Ester Veloso. Bansuan was told that he does not have the right to complaint.

“You have no right to say you’re tired of the question because you are the witness here. You should not be complaining,” Veloso told him in open court.

Bansuan complained that he was tired of the questioning of defense lawyer Julius Caesar Entise. State prosecutor Jerome Abarca defended his witness saying that Bansuan’s complain was due to the long cross examination. The cross examination lasted 30 minutes.

Bansuan told the court that he was on his motorcycle with Ligaya Escultos on February 8, 2011 when they saw a vehicle moving slowly near Sayaw Beach in Barili.

Bansuan said he noticed that the vehicle was already parked while he was in the blind curve. He allegedly saw a man pulled something out from the vehicle’s compartment and put it in a dike then pushed it into a ravine.

Bansuan claimed he could see the vehicle because of a lamppost and the natural illumination of the moon. Entise however tried to show that Bansuan’s claim was not true. Entise presented a calendar of the year 2011 showing that when the alleged incident happened there was no moon because it was between new moon and first quarter.

But Bansuan insisted that his attention was focused on the Pajero that the accused allegedly used.

The prosecution panel asked the court to defer its redirect examination until September 3 to give the witness enough time to rest. But lawyer Rameses Victorious Villagonzalo asked for an earlier setting citing the predicament of his client who is under detention.

The court granted the request and scheduled the next hearing on August 7. (FREEMAN)