Nueva Ecija Court Issues Arrest Warrants vs Recruiters of Mary Jane Veloso
By: Brian Maglungsod, InterAksyon.com
May 18, 2015 4:18 PM
(UPDATED – 4:30 p.m.) MANILA – The Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court (RTC) has issued arrest warrants against the recruiters of Mary Jane Veloso, who remains detained in death row in Indonesia after Indonesian President Joko Widodo granted a stay in her execution last month.
Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said the warrant against Ma. Cristina Sergio and her live-in-partner, Julius Lacanilao was issued by Judge Nelson Tribiana of Branch 73 of the Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija RTC.
“You are hereby commanded to arrest Ma. Christina Sergio alias Mary Christine Gulles Pasadilla and Julius Lacanilao who is/are said to be presently detained at the lock-up cell of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-NHQs), NBI Building, Taft Avenue, Manila, and other John and Jane Does, charged of the crime of large scale illegal recruitment (Violation of Sec. 6, in Relation to Sec. 7(a) of R.A. 8042) and to bring him/her/them before me as soon as possible to be dealt with accordingly to law,” the warrant dated, May 14, said.
No bail was recommended for the two.
Arellano said the court would most probably order their detention at the provincial jail in Nueva Ecija.
The arrest warrant was based on the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The Department of Justice (DoJ) also recommended no bail against Sergio and Lacanilao, since there were at least three complainants against them aside from Veloso.
The other complainants who claimed they were also recruited to work abroad include Lorna Valino, Ana Maries Gonzales and Jenalyn Paraiso.
“The undersigned finds probable cause that respondents violated Section 6 of RA 8042 and should be held for trial. It is noteworthy that the law does not mandate that the victim of illegal recruitment should actually be deployed abroad in order for the crime to be completed. Stated otherwise, the crime of illegal recruitment is already committed when an offender promises to a person employment abroad without the necessary license or authority from the POEA,” part of the DOJ resolution said.
“In the instant case, the sworn affidavits of Valino, Gonzales and Paraiso are united in saying that both respondents recruited and promised them work abroad,” it added.
The resolution said that, with this, the respondents “are liable for the crime of large-scale illegal recruitment and should be appropriately charged in court with no recommended bail.”
But the DOJ said the charges of human trafficking and estafa against the two would need further investigation.