Ecleo on his arrest: It’s better this way, I’m tired of hiding

Former lawmaker Ruben Ecleo Jr. on Thursday welcomed his arrest in Pampanga after years of hiding from the law.

According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras,” Ecleo had grown tired of hiding from authorities.

“It’s better this way, hindi na ‘ko magtatago. I’m so tired of it already… sobrang hirap,” he told reporters.

“Mga 7, 8, 9 [years]. Within those period, dito lang ako sa Pampanga nagkaroon ba ng kaunting peace of mind for a while,” Ecleo added.

Ecleo and his driver were arrested in San Fernando at 4:30 a.m. Thursday by police after six months of surveillance. 

He was convicted in 2012 over the 2002 murder of his wife Alona Bacolod-Ecleo. 

To this day, however, Ecleo refuses to admit to the crime.

“Papatayin ko ba ‘yung asawa ko? Hindi naman. Ewan ko ba kung papaano nila na-kwan ‘yun ba,” he said.

Ecleo also said that he was able to live life normally despite being a wanted man since no one recognized him.

“Wala. Siguro meron [nakakilala] pero alanganin lang sila magsabi minsan,” he said.

He also admitted to using drugs “back in the day” and to considering surrendering to authorities on several occasions. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News