Court suspends hearing of obstruction of justice case vs Ivler mom

A Quezon City court temporarily suspended on Wednesday the hearing on the obstruction of justice case filed against Marlene Aguilar-Pollard, mother of road slay suspect Jason Ivler. GMA News' Kara David said in her report over QTV's Balitanghali that the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 37 granted Aguilar's motion for a preliminary investigation, effectively sending the case back to the prosecutor's office. Aguilar was accompanied at the MTC Branch 37 by her husband Stephen Pollard, the report said. According to her lawyer Mitzell Arthur Magdaong, the preliminary investigation would enable them to file a counter-affidavit. The lawyer said the complaint was swiftly filed against Aguilar before the courts even though she had no legal counsel present when her son was arrested for the fatal November 18 shooting of Renato Ebarle Jr. The 27-year-old victim was the son of presidential chief of staff Renato Ebarle Sr.
Aguilar was arrested and charged shortly after National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents caught Ivler hiding inside her home in Quezon City last January 18. [See: Jason Ivler captured after shootout with NBI team] Magdaong insisted that there was no probable cause for charging Aguilar, and expressed confidence that the case against her would be dismissed. Ivler pleaded not guilty to the murder charge against him during the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 76's hearing on his case. [See: Ivler pleads not guilty to murder charge] Ivler, who traded gunfire with NBI agents during his arrest and has been staying in a hospital since, was brought to the courtroom in a stretcher. The prosecution moved to have the suspect transferred to a regular detention cell at the Quezon City jail, but Ivler's doctor said his wound has still not fully healed. The suspect will remain under NBI custody at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center pending a discharge order from the hospital. The court set the preliminary conference on Ivler's case on February 25 and 26, and the pre-trial on March 2. - Johanna Camille Sisante/RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV