Release of Veloso recruiters looms

MANILA, Philippines - The alleged illegal recruiters of convicted drug mule Mary Jane Veloso, who is facing execution in Indonesia, may be released from detention after one of the complainants withdrew the case against them.

Ana Marie Gonzales, one of the three complainants in the large-scale illegal recruitment case against Maria Cristina Sergio and her partner Julius Lacanilao, withdrew her complaint in a one-page affidavit submitted to the Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court Branch 37.

If granted by the court, the case against Sergio and Lacanilao would be downgraded from large-scale illegal recruitment to illegal recruitment, which would allow them to post bail.

Large-scale illegal recruitment is a non-bailable offense.

The other complainants are Lorna Valino and Jenalyn Paraiso.

Howard Areza, lawyer for Sergio and Lacanilao, told reporters at the Department of Justice that Gonzales went to his office and manifested her intent to withdraw the charges against the suspects.

According to Areza, Gonzales was allegedly deceived by Veloso’s family and the National Bureau of Investigation into signing an affidavit after the execution of Veloso was postponed.

“She claimed that when she signed the affidavit, she had no idea that it would be used to file a complaint against Sergio and Lacanilao,” he said.