One more night in jail for slay suspect Bella
One more night in jail for slay suspect Bella
BELLA Ruby Santos used her savings to post a bail of P500,000 yesterday afternoon, but she had to stay one more night at the City of Naga jail as her lawyers failed to secure her release order before the end of the court’s office hours.
One of her lawyers, Ronel Ubod, paid the bond at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) cashier at the Chief Justice Fernan Memorial Hall of Justice past 2 p.m.
Santos’ cousin, Bogs, said she will be definitely be out today. Bogs said Bella used her savings to post bail.
“Hagbay ra na niya gipangandaman (She prepared the money long ago),” Bogs said.
Santos and her British boyfriend, Ian Charles Griffiths, are facing kidnapping and homicide charges for the death of six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique, who was abducted outside her school in Minglanilla on Feb. 8, 2011. Her body was found the next day at the foot of a cliff in Barili.
Last Wednesday, Judge Ester Veloso of RTC Branch 6 granted Santos' petition for bail.
The prosecution, led by lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna, filed a motion for reconsideration asking the court to reverse the decision.
The hearing on the motion is set on Friday, said dela Cerna.
Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador fears that Santos will leave the country now that the court has allowed her to post bail.
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“We received information before that she was going to do this,” Comendador said.
“Mas maayo ra unta 'to kung naa ra siya sa prisohan. Ato rang mabantayan (She should remain in jail where we can keep an eye on her).”
He is concerned that the work of law enforcers to file a case against Santos would go to waste.
“Dako baya gyud og hago ang police ato (The police worked hard on the case),” said Comendador, who was also spokesperson of Task Force Ellah Joy.
Law enforcers caught Santos in a mall in Metro Manila in October 2011, almost three months from the day the court issued a warrant for her arrest.
The court allowed San- tos to post bail, citing the prosecution’s failure to establish the motive of Ellah Joy’s abduction and death.
Comendador said the police respect the court’s decision.
“But I would like to emphasize that the opportunity to give justice to the victim could be served now. Otherwise, basin mawagtang ra nya (The opportunity would be lost),” he added.