Pubdate: Fri, 21 Jun 2002
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2002
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Christina Mendez
Note: With reports from Sandy Araneta, Aurea Calica
Section: Headlines

CULT LEADER A SHABU USER

Ruben Ecleo Jr., the leader of the cultist group Philippine Benevolent 
Missionaries Association (PBMA) who is accused of murdering his wife, 
tested positive for shabu at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime 
Laboratory at Camp Crame yesterday.

Ecleo, 47, was under the influence of shabu when he led about 200 of his 
followers in attacking policemen and soldiers who went to the Ecleo mansion 
in San Jose town on Dinagat island off Surigao del Norte, police said. 
Sixteen of Ecleo's followers and a policeman died in the carnage that began 
Tuesday evening and ended with Ecleo's surrender early Wednesday.

The gun battle began as a joint team of the PNP and troops from the Army's 
20th Infantry Battalion, backed up by air support from two MG-520 
helicopters, attempted to serve a warrant of arrest on Ecleo in connection 
with the death of his 27-year-old wife, Alona Bacolod Ecleo. Alona's 
remains were found inside a black garbage bag at the bottom of a cliff in 
Cebu last January. Police suspect she had been strangled.

Ecleo, son of Rep. Glenda Ecleo (Lakas-NUCD), denied involvement in the 
killing of Alona.

Officially known as the "Divine Master" of the PBMA, Ecleo pointed to 
Alona's brother Ben as the culprit. Ben, the only witness to the murder, 
was shot dead in his Mandaue City home in Cebu as the Dinagat island 
carnage went on Tuesday.

Ben's father Elpidio, mother Rosalia and sister Evelyn were also killed by 
a gunman wielding an Ingram pistol and an Uzi sub-machine gun. The killer 
was later identified as Rico Gumonong, 28, an active Ecleo supporter and a 
security guard of Postal Bank in Cebu City. Gumonong died as he opened fire 
on policemen.

Recalling events on the evening of Jan. 6 when the fourth-year medical 
student Alona was killed, Ecleo said he resented her leaving their house 
with her brother Ben without seeking his permission.

Pressed to provide more details, Ecleo skipped narrating what transpired 
when Alona returned home. He said Ben asked about Alona's whereabouts when 
they began searching for her.

It is alleged that Ecleo killed Alona because of her constant nagging that 
he undergo drug rehabilitation.

"I told Buboy (Ben), why should he ask about Alona's whereabouts when he 
was the last person she was with that night?" Ecleo told reporters. He was 
prevented by officials of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 
(CIDG) from revealing more details. CIDG officials said Ecleo's case is 
pending in court.

Ecleo and an undetermined number of his followers would be charged with 
direct assault with complex crimes of homicide, frustrated homicide, and 
illegal possession of firearms for the death of 16 PBMA supporters and one 
policemen and the wounding of several others during Tuesday's clash, CIDG 
officials said.

About 200 PBMA members were turned over to their respective barangay 
captains for questioning by police.

Investigators are also trying to establish "solid" evidence that would link 
Ecleo to the killings of the Bacolod family members and one of their 
neighbors. Engineer Paterno Lactawan, a neighbor of the Bacolods, was also 
killed in the attack by Gumonong.

Ecleo would be transferred to Cebu City today, where he will be presented 
to a regional trial court judge after the warrant issued for his arrest is 
returned.

"I am sorry this had to happen," Ecleo told reporters. "I want them (PBMA 
followers) to keep their cool and not to resort to any violence anymore 
because so many lives were already lost," he said.

Ecleo spent Wednesday evening in Camp Crame.

He was subjected to a paraffin test yesterday morning to determine presence 
of gunpowder burns on his hands.

Ecleo expressed remorse over the death of 16 PBMA followers and one local 
policeman, saying he failed to control his followers whom he claimed failed 
to heed his advice not to fight with local policemen.

"I cannot blame anybody. I wanted to immediately surrender to Sen. (Robert) 
Barbers, but I had to follow my supporters. It is sad that this had to 
happen. I could not control them," Ecleo said.

Parishioners Warned Not To Join Ecleo Cult

Meanwhile, Fr. Leonardo Mercado, executive secretary of the Catholic 
Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on 
Interreligious Dialogue, said Bishop Miguel Cinches, a retired member of 
the CBCP assigned at Surigao del Norte, has warned parishioners not to join 
the cult of Ecleo because its teachings were against the Catholic church. 
Cinches was bishop of Surigao del Norte from March 1973 to July 2001.

Mercado said he learned from Ciches that one of the conditions for PBMA 
membership is that Ecleo would take advantage of young women members or 
their female children by having sex with them and forcing them to bear his 
child.

Cult members would allow Ecleo to have sex with their daughters because 
they consider Ecleo's child as a "blessing to the family," it was claimed.

The cult also believed that Dinagat island is a "Noah's Ark," where all 
chosen members residing in the island would survive the "end of the world 
in the year 2015," Mercado said.

The PBMA was established and registered with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission in Oct. 19, 1965.

Mercado suggested that one of the possible reasons why Ecleo was able to 
attract so many members was due to the "closeness" between the cult leader 
and the PBMA members.

"There is closeness in the cult's relationships. They could see their 
leader and there is personal communication between the leader and the 
members," Mercado said.

Barbers said the Ecleo family was "well-loved" and had commanded the 
respect of the people.

Barbers said Ruben Ecleo Sr., a known faith healer, had "cured" a lot of 
believers and gained strong support from the local population because of 
this healing power.

He could not recall any incidents of terrorism or violence that involved 
the Ecleos.

Barbers said police authorities were contemplating on filing charges 
against Representative Ecleo for obstruction of justice as she did not 
surrender her son immediately.

He however said that although Mrs. Ecleo had long wanted to turn over her 
son to authorities, she could not prevail over him.
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MAP posted-by: Beth