Large scale illegal recruitment case filed vs Veloso’s recruiters

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended the filing of large-scale illegal recruitment case against the recruiters of Mary Jane Veloso.

In an 18-page resolution written by Assistant State Prosecutor Mark Roland Estepa which was approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, facing a case for violation of Section 6 of Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers Act are Ma. Cristina Sergio alias Mary Christine Guilles Pasadilla and Julius Lacanilao.

The case was based on the complaints of Lorna Valino, Ana Maria Gonzales and Jenalyn Paraiso. Like Veloso, all three came from Nueva Ecija.

Based on the sworn statement of Valino, Sergio is a known recruiter in Talavera, Nueva Ecija. She said Sergio first recruited her when she was only 16-years old. In September 2014, Valino said Sergio returned and recruited her again but her mother did not allow her to leave. She said they later learned that she was the one who recruited Veloso.

Gonzales, on the other hand, said she was enticed by Sergio to work abroad, saying she will shoulder all her expenses for deployment. But she backed out after learning of Veloso’s case.

On the other hand, Paraiso, in her testimony, said she was recruited by Sergio sometime in 2010 and 2011 to work as entertainer either in Malaysia, Indonesia or Japan. However, she said Sergio told her she should first work at a “club” in Manila before she could be sent abroad, prompting her to back out.

The DOJ, in its resolution, explained that it is not necessary that the victim is actually deployed abroad before a person could be slapped with an illegal recruitment case.

“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 (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration),” the resolution stated.

Sergio and Lacanilao, based on POEA records, are not licensed recruiters.

In the same resolution, the DOJ approved the conduct of formal preliminary investigation for human trafficking and estafa. There are a total of 12 complainants against Sergio and Lacanilao.

Meanwhile, the DOJ consolidated the complaint affidavits of Veloso’s mother Celia, her father Cesar and sister Maritess Laurente to an earlier case filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) so that a “holistic resolution of the case of Mary Jane Veloso can be undertaken.”

Preliminary investigation was scheduled for Friday, May 8.

No bail was recommended for their temporary liberty. AC