News Briefs
MANDAUE GOVT TO EVICT 400 STALLHOLDERS
The Mandaue City government is preparing to evict 400 delinquent public market stallholders for failure to sign their respective lease contracts.
City Legal Officer Giovanni Tianero said they are now accepting new applicants after sending notices of closure to the delinquent stallholders.
Tianero said the stallholders were given until May 31 to secure their contract of lease with the city government and the undertaking for the lease rights but they failed to meet the deadline.
Last month the City Hall served them notices of closure.
“So we made these spaces available to the public and it is a first-come, first-serve basis,” Tianero said.
Authorities may however have to make a forcible eviction as the stallholders are still operating their businesses. A total of 619 vendors were earlier sent ‘Notice for Closure’ for failing to process their requirements in acquiring and using of stalls in new Mandaue public market in sitio Tribunal, barangay Centro./Correspondent Jucell Marie P. Cuyos
ECLEO ENLISTS NEW LAWYER
Cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr. has enlisted the services of another lawyer in connection with his appeal to overturn his conviction for parricide.
Cebu-based lawyer Noel Archival has filed a motion for entry of appearance for him to appear as Ecleo’s counsel.
Archival will join former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Lucas Carpio Jr. and Jose Ventura-Aspiras as Ecleo’s defense counsels.
The Ecleo camp is seeking the inhibition from the case of Regional Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras of Branch 10 who earlier convicted Ecleo on charges of parricide.
Archival requested the court to hold a hearing on Nov. 29.
The defense is asking the court to reconsider its decision in junking Ecleo’s petition to appeal his conviction.
Prosecution lawyer Kit Enriquez doubts whether or not the signature of the pleading filed by Archival belongs to Ecleo.
Last April 13, Ecleo was found guilty of parricide for killing his wife Alona on Jan. 5, 2002.
Ecleo, the supreme master of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, was meted a prison term of reclusion perpetua or 20 to 40 years and ordered to pay fines and damages worth P26.3 million.
He remains at large./Reporter ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL
