Ever since she was charged with the kidnapping and murder of six-year-old pupil Ellah Joy Pique, Bella Ruby Santos assumed a defiant stance that was propped up in no small measure by her lawyers and supporters.
But what happens if she was indicted and an arrest warrant is issued against her?
The 35-year-old Cebuana remained defiant for another reason.
“Di ko padakop oi. Magrebelde o di ba kaha mag-Catwoman na lang ko. (I won't allow authorities to catch me. I'd rather join a rebel group or act like Catwoman),” said Santos, who along with British national Ian Charles Griffiths face kidnap and homicide charges in relation to Pique's murder last Feb. 8.
Cebu Daily News visited Santos inside her two-storey house in barangay Inayagan, Naga City last week.
She gladly opened her home, saying she wants to prove that she isn't guilty of killing an innocent child.
“Lisud kaayo mapriso nga wala kay sala. Og naa kay kahigayon, nganong magpapriso man ka kon wala kay sala? (It's difficult to be jailed if you didn't commit a mistake. If one will be given a choice, he or she willl not allow himself/herself to be arrested especially if they didn't commit an offense),” she said
Santos said she won't demand a settlement from the Pique family since she sees no reason to do so.
“I didn't kill Ellah Joy. I believe Ellah Joy is an angel. It's not easy to lose a child. But Griffiths and I are really innocent,” she said.
Santos, along with her relatives and friends, hold a prayer vigil inside her home every evening for justice to be served.
Ellah Joy's father Renante Pique found the report distasteful.
“Hilas kaayo. Sa ilang gibuhat, makasangpit pa sila sa Ginoo. (What gall…With what they did to my daugther, they managed to call upon the Lord),” Renante said in a separate interview.
Renante challenged Santos to admit her role in the death of Ellah Joy to put an end to the issue, saying she may even receive a lighter penalty.
Santos insisted she and Griffiths weren't responsible for the heinous crimes.
“Why should I and Griffiths kill a child when we live a comfortable life? For what? To destroy our lives?,” she said in Cebuano.
Santos said Griffiths earns P700,000 to P800,000 every month as a financial director in a computer firm in Singapore.
Santos said she was shocked on learning that Griffiths was arrested in London last week in relation to Ellah Joy's murder.
“If my partner wasn't a foreigner, I should not have been implicated,” she said.
Griffiths was released upon posting bail after two nights in jail.
Under British law, citizens facing charges abroad can be arrested once they step into a place under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom.
Santos' blue Mitsubishi Pajero was pointed to by witnesses as the same vehicle allegedly used in the kidnapping and murder of Ellah Joy.
The vehicle, along with some items seized from her house, were the subject of a legal battle in court.
Last week, Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Meinrado Paredes of Branch 13 ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) to return Santos' Pajero and other items taken from the latter's residence.
These include hair strands, a LAN cord, one Nintendo DS game cartridge, rug, sex toys, empty porn CD covers, assorted CD's, waiver, assorted identification cards, passport, and two stones.
Paredes believed these items were not used in the crimes.
The court opted to retain the bed sheets, blanket, table card, a portion of a bed mattress, video camera with accessories and tapes, USB, and a card reader.
Judged already
Paredes said authorities and Santos may use the items retained by the court for their respective “examination, photographing, and testing” in the presence of the other party.
But the CIDG-7 contested the ruling of the court, saying the Pajero should not be returned to Santos.
The court has yet to rule on the request of the CIDG-7 which declined to release the vehicle.
Santos' lawyers asked the court to cite CIDG-7 in contempt for refusing to return the Pajero.
Santos said while she understands the Pique family's outrage, it would be “unfair” to accuse her of a crime she never committed.
“If my child would be kidnapped, of course I want to retaliate to those responsible for it. I pity the Pique family But we have to abide by the due process of law. I have no choice, I have been judged already,” she said.
Santos and Griffiths were ordered by the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors' Office to submit their counter-affidavits to refute the allegations.
In case the court rules against them, Santos said it would be better for Griffiths to remain in London.
“Griffiths does not deserve what is happening now; me either. (But) I'm willing to accept whatever the purpose of the Lord would be. I will accept it without a frown on my face,” she said.
Threatened
In a tour of her two-story house, Santos recounted that Griffiths spent P13 million to build and furnish the house four years ago.
Images of the Sto. Nino, Mother Mary, and a crucifix was placed in the altar. Adjacent to the living room is the kitchen and the dining room.
At the side of the sala was a staircase leading to what seemed to be a room in the basement where the master's bedroom is located.
Inside the master's bedroom is a bed with a thick mattress. Santos showed the mattress which has bloodstains in it.
Santos said the blood came from her during her period and wasn't from Ellah Joy.
A huge flat screen TV is placed in a table which contained several compact discs.
A painting showing a piano, three lamps, mirror, and a sculpture of a couple are also seen inside the room.
Adjacent to the master's bedroom is a bathroom which houses a bath tub. On the second floor, there are two guests rooms.
Outside the house lies a small fishpond with several big dishes in it.
A garden can also be found in front and at the back of the house where Santos and Griffiths planned to build a swimming pool.
When she was young, Santos said she only dreamt of having a TV set and a refrigerator.
Now, her rags to riches story is being threatened by the kidnap murder charges in relation to Ellah Joy's death.
“Nobody is perfect. I'm not an angel. I hurt some persons before but never accused me of killing Ellah Joy. There are many persons who were placed in jail but are innocent of the charges. There are also persons who committed an offense but remain to be free,” Santos said.
Cebu Daily News 
Jesusa L. Bautista
April 12, 2011
Bella Ruby Santos said she “hurt a lot of persons” before and accepted her “shady past”. Aren’t these statements lead to some truth that she is capable of doing things her way? She used to be a “tong” girl in Naga,Cebu, a “bar girl” in a casino in Angeles, Pampanga and now she even claimed a “foreigner boyfriend” as a live-in partner even without a legal separation filed to annul her marriage to a Fil-Am Doctor? Why was she not able to follow her husband in NY after many years of living together in Angeles, Pampanga? Why did she allow her two sons to be under the care of their Dad than being with her as a “better” Mom? What is her business going to Singapore 11 times in the past few months? And now, she claims she’d rather be a rebel than being in prison? Who would put her go to prison if she is ” innocent”? Who is her “financial backer” to hire 3 “private investigators” to scare the witnesses and why are her lawyers coming from Makati instead of hiring lawyers from Cebu? She is a piece of ( “???” ). Let there be justice for Ella Joy and let the murderers rot in prison.
PILIPINAS
September 25, 2011
Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, true but it is never right to come up with conclusions just by basing everything from a single piece of the puzzle (which you don’t even know if the piece you got is part of this puzzle). The accused might have had an undesirable past but no one can judge a person’s deeds basing only from her claimed shady past (which is brave of her to admit). It’s funny how easy for people to point out other people if they are not on the hot seat. We are all praying for real justice based on hard evidences & facts. Furthermore, why question her personal life, no one knows why her and her husband separated at all, maybe her kids will have better future with their dad so let’s not be biased. Financial backer? Several Trips to SG? Hiring lawyers she “trust”? and hiring private investigators? It is widely known to the write ups that her and her British companion have a decent income so why not use their means if they could if that’s what could help them cause seems like most of the people are being biased on this case. What if they are not capable of protecting themselves (Which by the way a right of every human being)? I bet they’ll be convicted with no enough hard evidences. Think fairly, pray for justice without accusing. If it was them then God has his own ways.
RIP Ellah, you’re safe there now.