Judge in Ivler case asked to inhibit self

MANILA, Philippines—The lawyer of Jason Ivler has asked the judge in charge of the case to inhibit himself after the latter cited the road rage suspect’s mother for contempt.

In Wednesday’s hearing at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 219, lawyer Eduarson Ong also cited as a reason for his motion Judge Bayani Vargas’ failure to act favorably on his request that Ivler be confined in a hospital for his medical condition.

At the same time, Ong asked the judge to call off Wednesday’s proceedings pending the resolution of his motion—a request that Vargas promptly granted.

Ong’s motion was based on a resolution issued last month by Vargas in which he cited Ivler’s mother, Marlene Aguilar-Pollard, for contempt.

Aguilar-Pollard was also ordered to pay a fine of P20,000 after she dared Vargas to fight her in open court on March 23. Her outburst came after the judge denied a motion by Ivler’s lawyer that his client be excused from court proceedings on that day.

Ong said in his motion that the court unfairly cited Aguilar-Pollard for contempt.

Vargas, meanwhile, gave Ivler’s camp 10 days to file a written motion as he ordered the prosecution to issue a response within five days.

This is the second time that the judge hearing Ivler’s case has been asked to inhibit himself.

The first judge who handled the case, Judge Alexander Balut of Branch 76, stepped down after the prosecution accused him of committing procedural lapses during the trial.

Ivler is facing a murder charge for shooting and killing Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., the son of a former Palace official, during a traffic altercation in November 2009 in Quezon City.