CIDG asks court to order DFA to cancel Ecleo's passport

CEBU, Philippines - The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has asked for the cancellation of the passport of Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association supreme master and former Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. to prevent him from leaving the country.

CIDG-7 director Sr. Supt. Jose Pante has requested Regional Trial Court Branch 10 Judge Soliver Peras to order the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel Ecleo’s passport.

“May we respectfully request that this Honorable Court will direct Assistant Secretary Jaime Victor Ledda to cancel the passport of Ecleo and include his name in the DFA’s Lookout List database,” the letter read.

Pante earlier requested the DFA to cancel Ecleo’s passport but he was told that the agency need an order from the court to do it. It was Ledda who allegedly suggested to the CIDG-7 to file the necessary request with the court.

Prosecution lawyer Kit Enriquez however finds the request useless because of the existing hold departure order issued by the court. Enriquez said Ecleo is already barred from leaving the country even if he has his passport.

Ecleo’s counsel Jose Ventura Aspiras refused to comment on the request of CIDG. Ecleo was earlier convicted of parricide and was sentenced to suffer a penalty of reclusion perpetua or 20 to 40 years imprisonment.

Ecleo has filed a notice of appeal but was denied by the court. His counsels filed a motion for reconsideration which is still subject for resolution of the court.

Aside from his conviction in the parricide case for killing his wife Alona Bacolod, he was also convicted of graft and corruption before the Sandiganbayan. The charges stemmed from his anomalous transactions during his stint as mayor of San Jose town in Dinagat, Surigao del Norte.  (FREEMAN)