DOJ summons recruiters of Mary Jane Veloso
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has summoned the recruiters of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina sentenced to death in Indonesia.
In a subpoena dated April 29 issued by Assistant State Prosecutor Susan Azarcon, Maria Kristina P. Sergio alias Mary Christine Gulles Pasadilla and her live-in partner Julius Lacanilao were required to appear in the DOJ on May 8 and May 14.
The two, together with a certain “Ike” of African descent, were slapped with cases of human trafficking, illegal recruitment and estafa with swindling.
The complaint was based on the affidavit of Veloso which was obtained by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) when they visited Veloso on March 31 in Indonesia.
In her affidavit, Veloso said that in April 2010, Sergio recruited her and promised her a job in Malaysia.
Upon reaching Malaysia, they checked in at Sun Inn Lagoon hotel where she was introduced to Ike.
A few days later, Veloso said she was informed by Sergio that she would have to go to Indonesia to meet someone. She said she had no recourse but to follow Sergio because she was looking for a job and had no income in Malaysia.
Sergio bought her clothes because she only had clothes for two days and a luggage.
Veloso said she noticed that the luggage, though empty, was already heavy to which Sergio explained that it was because the luggage was brand new.
She was arrested in Indonesia upon her arrival there for drug trafficking.
“Victim Mary Jane does not know that there were illegal drugs in the luggage she was carrying and that she was a victim of deception and manipulation by her illegal recruiters,” the National Bureau of Investigation said in its letter dated April 21 to the DOJ.
“Facts surrounding the circumstances of her recruitment, transportation and stay in a foreign country also showed that she was a victim of human trafficking owing to the fact that her vulnerability (in dire need of a job in order to support her family) was exploited by her recruiters through manipulation and deception, in order for her to unwittingly transport a contraband without her knowledge,” the NBI said.
A verification made by the NBI at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration revealed that Sergio and Lacanilao had no license nor authority to recruit persons for overseas employment. RC
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