Kin of drug mule nabbed in Brazil fear for lives

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—The family of a suspected drug mule arrested in Sao Paolo, Brazil, on April 3 now fear for their safety after threatening text messages were sent to a family member.

Rene del Puerto, 74, said his daughter Jenny Jane had to temporarily move out of the city when she received threatening text messages after she made public the ordeal of her sister Analyn Abalde.

Analyn, a 34-year-old mother of two, was arrested by Brazilian police after finding cocaine in her luggage.

Del Puerto said after Jenny gave media interviews, the text messages started coming.

“Jen, we know where you are and we will get you,” Del Puerto quoted a text message received on Jenny’s cellular phone.

Jose Justo Yap, NBI director for Northern Mindanao, confirmed his agency had received an appeal for help from Del Puerto and was looking into the alleged threat.

Yap said they were also trying to locate Analyn’s recruiter, identified as Alma Waminal, also of Cagayan de Oro City.

Del Puerto said his jailed daughter met Waminal at the J.R. Borja Memorial Medical Hospital here when her son got sick early this year.

He said Waminal convinced his daughter, who worked as a golf caddy, to work in a factory in Thailand. But instead of taking her to Thailand, he said, the recruiter flew with Analyn and another woman to the United States and finally to Brazil.

Yap said they have already identified Analyn’s other companion, who is still in Brazil because she could not come home for lack of money.

Yap said the other alleged recruit, who is from Barangay (village) Carmen here, learned of Analyn’s predicament only after she contacted relatives here and asked for their help so she could go home.

“Abalde’s companion will be able to come home soon because she is not facing any case,” Yap said, adding that the other recruit could provide more details on the case.