Sandiganbayan orders Rep. Ecleo's arrest

[marqi_20]

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da buti nga sayo ecleo akala siguro niya siya nay maka pangyarihan

[samsungster]

Ecleo asks SC to stop arrest
Dinagat Islands Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. filed on Friday an extremely urgent motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) asking the Supreme Court to command the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan from implementing the warrant for his arrest.

The Sandiganbayan issued the arrest warrant after the Supreme Court ruled with finality on the graft cases against Ecleo.

The high court has affirmed 3 graft convictions against Ecleo in connection with his stint as mayor of Surigao del Norte between 1991-1994.

There is a separate parricide case pending against Ecleo in connection with the death of his wife, 4th year medical student Alona-Bacolod Ecleo, who died on January 5, 2002.

He is out on a P1-million bail.

Ecleo won as representative of the lone district of Dinagat Islands in the May 2010 elections.

The House of Representatives leadership said Ecleo will automatically be dropped from the rolls of Congress following his final conviction. The House Ethics committee does not even need to investigate this nor vote on the issue.

This also means Ecleo loses immunity from arrest while Congress is in session.

Ecleo asks SC to stop arrest | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

[okha44]

as usual motago nasad na basta datu lisod kay dakpon.

[7DMM]

Ecleo asks SC to stop arrest
Dinagat Islands Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. filed on Friday an extremely urgent motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) asking the Supreme Court to command the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan from implementing the warrant for his arrest.

The Sandiganbayan issued the arrest warrant after the Supreme Court ruled with finality on the graft cases against Ecleo.

The high court has affirmed 3 graft convictions against Ecleo in connection with his stint as mayor of Surigao del Norte between 1991-1994.

There is a separate parricide case pending against Ecleo in connection with the death of his wife, 4th year medical student Alona-Bacolod Ecleo, who died on January 5, 2002.

He is out on a P1-million bail.

Ecleo won as representative of the lone district of Dinagat Islands in the May 2010 elections.

The House of Representatives leadership said Ecleo will automatically be dropped from the rolls of Congress following his final conviction. The House Ethics committee does not even need to investigate this nor vote on the issue.

This also means Ecleo loses immunity from arrest while Congress is in session.

Ecleo asks SC to stop arrest | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

i wouldn't be surprised if the supreme court will grant this.

[benchanx]

sus mao ra gihapon makagawas gihapon na si ecleo kay bsin ang naa sa judiciary mga membro na d ay sa iyang kulto.

[pepponeskie]

Ruben Ecleo defense move futile: lawyer | Sun.Star

THE law firm that represented cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr. in his parricide suit for over seven years has withdrawn from the case, a move that the prosecution lawyers described as an “exercise in futility.”

Lawyers Kit Enriquez and Fritz Quiñanola yesterday voiced their suspicion behind the real motive of lead defense counsel Orlando Salatandre Jr. and his co-counsel Giovanni Mata in withdrawing from the case.

Enriquez said the withdrawal of Ecleo’s lawyers from the case may be meant to “gain public sympathy” as the cult leader intends to appeal his conviction.

Quiñanola, on the other hand, theorized that there could be a “hidden agenda” behind such a move.

“Changes of counsel cannot help and will not affect the outcome (of the verdict). Any replacement is an exercise of futility,” said Quiñanola.

Opposition

The volunteer prosecutors will oppose the defense counsels’ withdrawal from the case.

Salatandre submitted an urgent motion to withdraw to Judge Soliver Peras last Monday.

The lawyer did not cite a reason why he and his associate lawyer withdrew, but said their decision had the “conformity” of Ecleo.

“Consequently, it is hereby begged that the undersigned be relieved of his duties as counsel,” Salatandre wrote in the pleading.

Salatandre asked the court that he may be “relieved of all his concomitant duties and responsibilities” as counsel for Ecleo.

Peras, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 10, has yet to act on Salatandre’s withdrawal.

Several text messages to Salatandre’s mobile phone seeking his statement were unanswered.

After Ecleo was found guilty of parricide for murdering his wife Alona in 2002, Salatandre vowed to contest the verdict via petition for review before the Court of Appeals.

Damages, fees

Last April 13, Judge Peras found Ecleo guilty of parricide for killing wife Alona Bacolod-Ecleo inside their house in Barangay Banawa, Cebu City in 2002.

Peras sentenced Ecleo to reclusion perpetua, which is punishable from 20 to 40 years in prison.

Peras also ordered the cult leader to pay his wife’s heirs P25 million in compensatory damages, P200,000 in moral damages, P200,000 in exemplary damages, P200,000 attorney’s fees and P50,000 in temperate damages.

In an interview, lawyer Enriquez said that the counsels' withdrawal from the case is “one of the stumbling blocks in the quest for justice.”

“Probably, they will try to gain sympathy,” he told Sun. Star Cebu in an interview.

Buying time

He said the defense was merely buying time to extend the deadline for them to appeal Ecleo’s conviction.

The defense has until April 30 to submit their appeal to the higher court.

But before doing so, a provision in the Rules of Criminal Procedures requires the accused to convince the court that his failure to attend his promulgation is justified.

If Ecleo fails to file an appeal on April 30, Enriquez said they will file a motion for execution of court judgment.

Lawyer Quiñanola also noticed that Salatandre’s pleading does not bear a date.

“As of the moment, we feel there is a hidden agenda in this case,” he said.

If the court grants the defense lawyers’ withdrawal from the case, Ecleo might ask for more time to file his appeal while he seeks replacement lawyers, Quinanola said.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on April 25, 2012.


Asa na kaha ni si master karon? Basin naa napod ni sa palasyo niya sa Dinagat, madugoong pag dakop napod ni pohon kay dupa2x dayun iyang mga miyembro sa kulto.

[ironmack08]

nya ang pangutana....nakit.an na ba ni siya? asa kaha ni nagtago run....i wonder....tsk3...

[lhorenzoo]

nagtago na ni ron didto sa ilang isla sa Dinagat.