Road rage suspect’s mother cited for contempt

MORE than a month after she challenged a judge to a fistfight during a court hearing, Marlene Aguilar-Pollard—the mother of road rage suspect Jason Ivler—has been cited for contempt.

In an order dated April 15, Judge Bayani Vargas of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 219 found her guilty of indirect contempt and fined her P20,000.

“Aguilar-Pollard, for her actuation which was aired on the Channel 7 news on March 23 whereby the presiding judge of this court was challenged to a fistfight coupled with libelous remarks which has the effect of degrading the administration of justice in the trial of Ivler, is hereby adjudged guilty of indirect contempt,” his order read.

At the same time, Vargas warned her that he would not tolerate any more outbursts in future hearings.

“[She] is likewise warned that any similar actuation would compel this court to impose the more strict sanction of imprisonment,” he said.

A court staffer told the Inquirer that as of Tuesday, Aguilar-Pollard had yet to pay the fine meted out by the judge.

Vargas issued the order after Ivler’s mother, during a court hearing on March 23, dared him to fight her.

“Suntukan na lang tayo, one round lang (Let’s fight, just one round), judge,” she told him after he refused to excuse her son from attending the court proceedings on that day.

Ivler is facing a murder charge for shooting and killing Renato Victor Ebarle Jr., the son of a former Malacañang official, on Nov. 18, 2009, in Santolan, Quezon City.

Last week, he was transferred from the Quezon City Jail to the Metro Manila District Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, after he was classified as a high-risk inmate.