Veloso’s alleged ‘recruiter’ twisted facts to escape liability, says family
RELATIVES of Mary Jane Veloso said Maria Cristina Sergio twisted the facts about her trip to Malaysia with Veloso in 2010 to escape liability.
In a reply affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by Veloso’s parents Cesar and Celia and sister Marites Veloso-Laurente, they said only the portion where Sergio and her live-in partner Julius Lacanilao stated the innocence of Veloso is true.
They added that they knew that Mary Jane has no knowledge, consent or intention to carry, transport, import, or sell or buy illegal drugs in Indonesia where she was apprehended with 2.6 kilos of heroin concealed in her luggage.
“Hindi maikaila na ang bersyon nina Maria Christina Sergio at Julius Lacanilao na nakasaad sa kanilang Sinumpaang Kontra-Salaysay ukol sa mga pangyayari bago, habang at matapos mahuli, makulong at masentensyahan si Mary Jane ay pinilit isinaayos ang pagkakasabi upang ipilit ang kanilang bersyon na sila ay walang kasalanan. Maliban sa sinabing inosente si Mary Jane, at magkasama si Maria Christina at Mary Jane pumunta sa Malaysia, ang iba nilang sinabi ay malinaw na pagtatangkang magbigay ng paliwanag upang sila ay mapawalang sala, subalit ang lahat ng ito ay malayo o taliwas sa totoong pangyayari,” Veloso’s family said in their joint reply to Sergio and Lacanilao’s counter-affidavits.
Contrary to Sergio’s claim, they said it was not Mary Jane and her husband Michael Candelaria who went to Sergio’s house to plead to help her find work abroad and to borrow money to defray the expenses for such travel, adding that it was Sergio who recruited Mary Jane and even dangled an offer of P25, 000 as monthly salary.
“Hindi siya (Mary Jane) sinungaling at alam namin na noong sinabi niyang nilapitan siya at si Michael noong ika-18 ng Abril 2010 nila Sergio upang alukin ng trabaho ay nagsasabi sya ng totoo,” the joint reply said.
And contrary to Sergio and Lacanilao’s statements, the Veloso family said Mary Jane paid them P6, 000 in cash, a cellular phone and a tricycle that was earlier purchased by Mary Jane from her savings when she worked for 10 months in Dubai in 2009 for her to be able to work abroad.
They also cited the March 31 statement of Mary Jane stating that Sergio knew of the man of African descent whom they met in Malaysia.
In Sergio’s affidavit, she said the two men including Ike who gave the luggage to Mary Jane introduced themselves while they were having snack near their hotel in Malaysia. Sergio said she warned Mary Jane against talking to strangers.
Mary Jane, in her affidavit, said Ike is the brother of Prince, Sergio’s boyfriend in Malaysia.
Candelaria, Mary Jane’s husband, in his separate reply-affidavit said Prince is Sergio’s contact in Malaysia. He said Sergio mentioned it to them when she is recruiting Mary Jane.
Sergio also said Mary Jane was stubborn, the kind of person who goes for it if she wants something despite warnings from those around her.
But the Veloso family said Mary Jane is not stubborn and does not easily trust people.
Also, in their affidavit, they said Sergio lied when she said she worked as a consultant at Century Properties with a monthly salary of P10, 000. A certification from the company’s counsel Elvis Uy was submitted by their lawyer, Edre Olalia, to the DOJ showing that Sergio only worked as a sales agent from April to June 2008 and not as a consultant.
The Veloso family also took offense at the claim of Sergio and Lacanilao that Candelaria was peddling illegal drugs in their area, adding that their claim has no basis and was only meant to destroy the latter’s credibility.
“Ang kanilang mga alegasyon, pilit na sinisiraan ni Sergio at Lacanilao ang kredibilidad ni Michael sa pamamagitan ng pagbibintang na siya ay nagtutulak at nagbebenta din ng illegal na droga at mahilig sa barkada at siya rin ay kilalang nagtutulak ng droga. Mariin naming pinabubulaanan ang mga walang batayan at makasariling mga paratang ni Sergio at Lacanilao laban kay Michael. Hindi totoong siya ay nagtutulak at gumagamit ng droga. Personal naming alam na naging kabuhayan niya ang pagtatrabaho sa pagawaan ng lumpia wrapper, pagtitinda ng balot, at pagiging tricycle driver,” they added.
