Veloso appearance in Ecija court reset
STO. DOMINGO, NUEVA ECIJA—The scheduled presentation of Mary Jane Veloso as a complainant in the cases against her alleged recruiters was postponed on Wednesday due to procedural issues raised by both the prosecution and the defense.
In an interview, Josalee Deinla, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) and who represents the Filipina who was arrested in Indonesia on charges of drug trafficking in 2010 but was later spared execution, said the hearing on charges of qualified human trafficking, estafa and illegal recruitment against Julius Lacanilao, Maria Cristina Sergio and a certain “Ike” did not push through.
The postponement was due to the pending motion of the Veloso camp seeking to allow her to testify in person before Judge Maximo Ancheta of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 89 here.
Deinla noted that the defense had also expressed interest in their clients being present in court to personally confront Veloso, who was turned over to Philippine authorities in December last year and has been detained at the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
“However, we have Supreme Court guidelines stating that once a person is a convicted prisoner, special permission must be obtained from the Office of the Court Administrator. As of now, there is no written authority yet,” she explained.
Sergio and Lacanilao were convicted in 2020 for violating Republic Act No. 8042, or the Migrant Workers Act, and were sentenced to life imprisonment by Judge Anarica Castillo-Reyes of the RTC Branch 88.
The current cases were filed by three other women who, like Veloso, were allegedly recruited by the pair.
Transfer
The defense, meanwhile, raised concerns over the Jan. 10 transfer of Sergio to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan province. They argued that the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the CIW had failed to seek court approval before the transfer.
They also questioned the justification offered in the letter from BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr., which stated that Sergio was transferred for “security reasons.” The defense deemed this explanation to be “unacceptable.”
Deinla said BuCor and CIW should be given the opportunity to explain the situation, as they were in the best position to assess security matters on the ground.
“If we recall, Cristina Sergio had been detained at the CIW for a long time. Over the years, she may have developed relationships inside, and it’s not unlikely that alliances formed within the prison,” Deinla said.
Veloso’s lawyers have also filed a motion requesting that future hearings be held at the CIW in Mandaluyong instead. The court granted them five days to formally file this request.
This was supposed to be the second opportunity for Veloso to testify in court. The first attempt on April 23 was also postponed due to the unresolved motion seeking her physical attendance in court.
