Witness faints during cross examination

CEBU, Philippines - The prosecution witness of the Ellah Joy Pique kidnap-slay fainted yesterday while being cross-examined in court.

Ligaya Escultos, 34, of Minulos, Barili, was being questioned by defense lawyer Julius Caesar Entice when she felt weak.

She was brought to the Office of the Clerk of Court of RTC Branch 6 and then transferred to the Cebu City Medical Center.

Escultos was the eighth prosecution witness in the kidnap-slay case against Bella Ruby Santos and British boyfriend Charles Griffiths.

During the direct examination, Escultos corroborated the testimony of Richard Ian Bruce Bansuan, her boyfriend, that on February 8, 2011 at 11:45 p.m., while on their way to Dumanjug, she saw a vehicle parked at the vicinity of Sayaw Beach in Barili.

She said they were from a fishing pond in Barangay Mantayupan, Barili where they attended a birthday party of their friend.

She said she saw a foreigner at the back of the vehicle, with plate number LHJ-382, who was wearing a baseball cap.

She also saw a woman inside the vehicle.

She added Bansuan parked the motorcycle near a water tank and she clearly saw that something was pulled out from the vehicle and was placed on a dike.

Then, she heard something rolling down.

They left the area after the engine of the vehicle started and seems to follow them.

The next day, she heard the news about a child that was found dead at the vicinity of Sayaw Beach.

She proceeded to the area and found out that it was the same area where she saw a vehicle parked.

In the cross examination, Escultos admitted that she executed a joint affidavit and a supplementary affidavit.

However, when Entice continued to ask Escultos, she fainted.

On board a patrol car, she was brought to the hospital.

In an interview, Entice said Escultos’ actuation was just a “drama.”

“It’s amazing,” he said.

Defense lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo said Escultos made it appear that she was not feeling well because Entice was able to uncover her lies.

“Entice was choking the witness, exposing the lies of the witness. That is why, nagpakuyap-kuyap,” he said.

Prosecution lawyer Inocensio de la Cerna denied Escultos was just acting.

“It takes such a heavy burden on our witness to relive and retell the incident on that fateful night. Identifying clearly the accused and the vehicle, Miss Escultos felt the pain and the agony of the victim. That’s why she fainted,” de la Serna said.

In a GMA-7 interview, PO3 Ramil Retuerto of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7, who was at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) said, Escultos’s blood pressure shot up to 150/100 because of stress.

Escultos denied that she was just acting.

She explained she felt weak because of stress but her mind was awake.

She added she just arrived from Manila and did not have enough sleep. Escultos was discharged from the emergency room of CCMC yesterday.  (FREEMAN)