Rule of law must be upheld on Ecleo

Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo, who was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Alona, 10 years ago, will more likely not serve his sentence.

Blame it on the Cebu City judge who allowed Ecleo to post a P1 million bail bond.

The reason the judge gave for granting Ecleo temporary liberty, albeit on a relatively high bail, was that he needed medical treatment for his heart ailment.

Baloney!

Ecleo could have been given medical treatment inside the Cebu City Jail or taken to a private hospital of his choice under heavy guard.

Murder being a nonbailable offense—especially since the victim was the respondent’s wife—Ecleo should never have been allowed to post bail.

Ecleo is a flight risk, even if he posted P1 million.

To an ordinary person, P1 million is a fortune, but to Ecleo, whose family practically owns Dinagat Island off the provinces of Surigao and Agusan, the amount is peanuts.

Even if the bail for his temporary liberty was P30 million, Ecleo would have been able to put it up, given his family’s wealth and power.

The Ecleos founded the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA), which is a cult.

Fanatical cult members fought policemen sent to arrest Ecleo in June 2002 for his wife’s murder, resulting in the death of several members.

That would have sent alarm bells ringing in the judge’s ears when Ecleo asked that he be allowed to post bail.

Granting Ecleo bail for a nonbailable offense confirms the perception that in this country, justice favors the rich and powerful over the poor and the ignorant.

*  * *

Ecleo is reportedly hiding in Dinagat Island where PBMA cult members are ready to lose their lives in order to protect him.

The law should be enforced at all cost in arresting the fugitive congressman  to flush him out.

Respect for the rule of law, even with all its defects, should be upheld.

*  * *

Secret Service agents who guard US presidents are reportedly involved in an embarrassing sex scandal involving prostitutes in Colombia, several days before President Obama came to visit the South American country.

In this country, sex scandals are no longer news.

Many of our high officials are reportedly customers of high-class prostitutes.

One official is said to prefer prostitutes over decent women.

A very disturbing rumor making the rounds says a high official, who has a  macho image, is experimenting with gays.

* * *

Let’s not fool ourselves into believing that the United States will help us if we engage China in a shooting war over Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

The US has much bigger problems—like protecting South Korea from its northern cousin and its continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan —to worry over our problem with China.

To us, our confrontation with China over  Scarborough Shoal is a major issue, but to the US it’s just a minor issue.

So let’s review our mutual defense treaty with the US since it’s one-sided.

An attack on the US, according to the mutual defense pact, is considered  an attack on the Philippines. An attack on the Philippines by a foreign aggressor, on the other hand, will still have to be discussed in the US Senate before Uncle Sam comes to our aid.