Prosecutors, lawyers plan for Ellah case

THE Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office will convene today to map their presentation in the Ellah Joy Pique homicide case.

“We will arrange how the evidence will be presented. We also have to anticipate the filing of a petition for bail,” said Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba.

The prosecutors will be joined by lawyers of the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) in the case.

The lawyers for homicide suspect Bella Ruby Santos plan to petition the court to allow her to post bail.

Under the 1987 Constitution, a suspect has the right to bail unless he or she is charged with a capital offense where evidence of guilt is strong.

Santos is facing charges of kidnapping with homicide in relation to the death of 6-year-old Ellah Joy Pique last Feb. 8.

Petralba advised Ellah Joy’s father Renante to take courage as trial against Santos starts.

“He (Renante) has to be strong. He has to know that not all people will sympathize with him,” Petralba said.

The case conference of the prosecution is set at 2 p.m. either at the Regional State Prosecutors’ Office or the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.

The Task Force Ellah Joy Pique yesterday asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to secure their witnesses under their witness protection program.

The task force said one of their witnesses claimed to have been offered P500,000 from someone to recant the statements against Santos and her British partner Ian Charles Griffiths.

Three other “vital witnesses” were also reportedly bribed to drop their testimonies against the accused. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol