Anti-trafficking complaint filed vs recruiter of Filipina on China death row

MANILA, Philippines—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed a criminal case Tuesday against the recruiter of Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, one of the overseas Filipino workers who were supposed to be executed in China last month for drug trafficking.

Slapped with the complaint for violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2008 before the Department of Justice (DoJ) was Tita Cacayan.

Among the complainant are the relatives of Villanueva including her husband Hilarion and brother Jayson Ordinario.

Based on the complaint, other victims of Cacayan include Melita Salazar-Sibayan, who was also arrested in China for drug trafficking.

The NBI said investigations showed that Cacayan is not licensed to recruit workers abroad.

Cacayan was arrested last month in her house in Barangay (village) Rizal in Alicia town, Isabela province.

Villanueva was arrested in Xiamen, China, in 2008 for carrying four kilos of high-grade heroin.

Villanueva, together with Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain, was scheduled to be executed last month but got a reprieve after Vice President Jejomar Binay traveled to China and personally appealed to Chinese authorities.