Prosecution lawyers contest Santos’ bail ruling

PROSECUTION lawyers in the Ellah Joy Pique kidnap-slay case will try to stop suspect Bella Ruby Santos from getting out of jail.

Lawyers Inocencio dela Cerna and Noemi Truya-Abarientos, last Thursday, filed a motion for reconsideration of the ruling of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Ester Veloso allowing Santos to post a half-million bail.

Dela Cerna reiterated to the court that there were eye witnesses, who saw Santos and British national Ian Griffiths with the victim.

“That is an admitted fact by the court. They were the last two persons seen with Ellah Joy. Seven hours after the abduction, Ellah died,” said Dela Cerna through a telephone interview.

In her court order released April 10, Veloso said that no evidence was presented to show what happened to the victim after she boarded the vehicle.

She said that the court couldn’t speculate on the possible scenarios at the time the child was taken and the time her body was found.

Santos’ lawyer earlier said they were working on complying with the requirements for their client to be released by Monday.

However, Dela Cerna said that the prosecution had already established the abduction part of the case against Santos.

kidnap, homicide

Santos and her British partner Griffiths face charges of kidnapping with homicide in court in relation to the death of six-year-old Pique on Feb. 8, 2011.

While the offense is non-bailable, the Constitution allows the accused to secure temporary liberty when the evidence of guilt against the accused is not strong.

Santos was arrested in October 2010 and is detained at the Naga City Jail while Griffiths remains at large./Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos