Remember the infamous case of Mary Jane Veloso? The Filipina OFW still languishing in death row in Indonesia for carrying illegal drugs in 2010 who claimed to be a victim of illegal recruiters.
Judge Anarica Castillo-Reyes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 88 of Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, this January 2020 found Cristina Sergion and Julius Lacanilao guilty of conducting the business of illegal recruitment, they having no required license from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
But the verdict was not for the cases filed at the behest of Veloso.
It was for the cases filed by three other victims of illegal recruitment: Ana Marie Gonzales, Lorna Valino and Jenalyn Paraiso. The complainants never travelled outside of the country or never get deployed for the promised job abroad.
Read Related stories: Indonesia release execution order of Mary Jane Veloso. / Indonesia halts execution of Mary Jane Veloso / Secretary De Lima to fast tract proof of Veloso innocence
Aside from the prison term of life imprisonment, the two convicts were ordered to pay P2 million as fine.
Judge Reyes is also handling cases of Veloso lodged against Lacanilao and Sergio for charges of alleged human trafficking, simple illegal recruitment and estafa.
Veloso who was meted a death sentence for the offense of drug trafficking put forward the defense that the illegal recruiters misled her into smuggling heroin from Malaysia to Indonesia.
The Indonesian drug court then put on hold the execution pending the result of her case in the Philippines.
This new development has no assurance that Veloso’s drug case in Indonesia will bring positive result as President Duterte maintain the same stand today, like his pronouncement on the video below:
- Republican National Convention Live Coverage Day 2: Land of Opportunity - August 25, 2020
- QUO VADIS: Judge convicts illegal recruiters of MARY JANE VELOSO - February 1, 2020
- ROBREDO: Duterte’s DRUG WAR 99% FAILURE! - January 6, 2020
