Raffling of Ellah Joy case set today

Charges of kidnapping with homicide filed against Bella Ruby Santos and her partner Ian Charles Griffiths will be raffled today.

Acting Executive Judge Sylvestre Maamo of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) is expected to lead the regular raffling of cases at 3 p.m.

Since the slain Ellah Joy Pique was a minor, the case will be handled by a judge who is assigned to a family court that deals with cases of annulment, adoption, child abuse and other crimes that involve minors.

In Cebu City, four judges are designated to cases involving children.

They are RTC Judges Ester Veloso, Beinvinido Saniel, Olegario Sarmiento, and Manuel Patalinghug.

RTC Judge Meinrado Paredes, who handled the evidentiary proceedings in relation to the search conducted inside Santos’ residence in barangay Inayagan, Naga City, will also continue with the viewing of the contents of the USB taken from the home of the accused.

The viewing will be held inside Paredes’ chamber at 9:30 a.m. today.

The proceeding was  scheduled before the main case was filed in court.

When contents of the USB were viewed last May, there were no documents or photos that showed Ellah Joy.

Santos and Griffiths were pointed to by witnesses as the same persons who kidnapped and threw the body of Ellah Joy off a cliff last February.

An arrest warrant against the two accused may be issued by the judge to whom the main case will be raffled.

Lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna, lead counsel of the Criminal Investigation  and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG), said they are expecting defense lawyers to request the court to hold in abeyance the issuance of a warrant pending resolution of the petition for review they filed with the Department of Justice.

Defense lawyers opposed the findings of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office which found probable cause to indict Santos and Griffiths.

Lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo, in a separate interview, said they will definitely ask the court to determine whether or not there is probable cause to issue a warrant against his client.

Griffiths was arrested in the United Kingdom but was allowed to post bail.

Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, challenged Santos to make good on her word that she would surrender once an arrest warrant is issued against her.