Veloso's recruiter surfaces, asks for police protection
HOURS before Mary Jane Veloso was to face execution in Indonesia, her recruiter turned to the police on Tuesday for protection after allegedly receiving death threats.
Maria Kristina Sergio, along with livein partner Julius Lacanilao, went to the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office around 11 a. m. Tuesday to personally make the appeal.
"Ready naman tayo sa ganyang kahilingan pero nagpatawag tayo ng attorney from the Public Attorney's Office para malaman din ang legalities ng ganitong bagay," said Nueva Ecija deputy provincial director Superintendent Rey dela Cruz.
Militant group Migrante, however, was not too happy with Sergio and Lacanilao's decision to surface.
"Hindi pa lubos ang kasiyahan dahil wala pang probable cause laban sa kanila. Nagpunta sila dito hindi naman para aminin ang ginawa nila kundi para humingi lang ng tulong. Galit pa rin kami dahil nasa bingit pa rin ng kamatayan si Mary Jane," said Cris Valdez of Migrante-Nueva Ecija.
Veloso was arrested in Yogyakarta airport in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in a suitcase supposedly given to her by Sergio who recruited her for a job as a domestic worker.
Sergio denied the allegation, saying that she only helped Veloso to find a job as the mother of two "pleaded for help."
"Galing siya noon sa ibang bansa at nakiusap siya sa akin na tulungan siya at kailangan kailangan niya ng trabaho kaya dahil kinakapatid siya ng asawa ko tinulungan ko. Sabi niya tulungan ko lang daw siya makaalis ng bansa at siya na ang bahala sa sarili niya kaya sinabay ko siya dahil papunta naman talaga ako ng Malaysia at doon naghiwalay na kami," she said in a television interview.
Sergio, also known as Mary Christine Gulles Pasadilla, and Lacanilao are facing charges of human trafficking, estafa and illegal recruitment at the Department of Justice. A certain "Ike", who is of African descent, was also included in the complaints.
Hearings on the complaints were set for May 8 and 14. (Third Anne PeraltaMalonzo/Sunnex)