Ivler's ma disrupts murder trial

MANILA, Philippines - The mother of road rage murder suspect Jason Ivler repeatedly shouted at a trial court judge yesterday, disrupting a hearing of the murder case filed against him.

Ivler — who is accused of killing a former Malacañang official’s son in a road rage incident – himself was mumbling in the courtroom, prompting a government prosecutor to ask the judge to cite mother and son in contempt.

Marlene Aguilar-Pollard even challenged Judge Bayani Vargas to a fistfight but the latter remained calm, only responding with occasional smirks.

Ivler and his mother were later escorted out of the courtroom, and Vargas told Ivler’s lawyer, Priscilla Abante, to advise Pollard to no longer enter the courtroom in future hearings.

The incident stemmed from a motion by Abante for Ivler to be excused and be allowed to just go back to his detention cell, saying his presence in the courtroom yesterday was no longer necessary.

Abante was then about to cross-examine prosecution witness Senior Police Officer 3 Edgar Tiodin, who had earlier pointed to Ivler as the man he allegedly saw shot Renato Victor Ebarle Jr. on Nov. 18, 2009 in Quezon City.

She argued that since Tiodin had already pointed to Ivler in court, the suspect’s presence yesterday for the cross-examination of Tiodon was unnecessary. Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon opposed this, saying this could lead to a problem of technicality if and when the case reaches the Court of Appeals.

Fadullon said the prosecution would only agree to it if the defense would manifest in writing that whenever Tiodin would mention the accused, it would refer to Ivler. During the course of the debate between Fadullon and Abante, Ivler could be heard mumbling from his seat in the gallery beside his mother.

It was at this point when Fadullon protested. Pollard was shouting, accusing the judge of allegedly committing irregularities. Ivler said what was happening was resulting in a “waste of taxpayers’ money.”

Fadullon repeatedly asked the court to cite the mother and son in contempt, while Abante tried to put her hand on Pollard’s mouth to silence her. Abante apologized for the behavior of Ivler and his mother as she escorted them from the courtroom, but Pollard shouted, “I don’t apologize.” She added that if her son goes free, she would have everyone jailed.

Ebarle’s family has criticized Pollard in the past for allegedly using theatrics to sway public opinion in her son’s favor. Pollard was accused of her harboring a fugitive after Ivler was arrested in her house in early 2010 following a gun battle with agents of the National Bureau of Investigation.

Fadullon told the judge that in his many years as a lawyer, what he saw yesterday was “something out of the ordinary.”

“I can’t help but think that the presiding magistrate is affected,” Fadullon said, to which Vargas calmly answered: “Yes.” According to Fadullon, they cannot let these disruptions go without any sanctions.