By Perfecto T.. Raymundo
MANILA, Aug. 5 (PNA) — One of the complainants in the large-scale illegal recruitment charges against Mary Jane Veloso’s recruiters Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao has withdrawn her complaint.
Veloso was supposed to be executed by firing squad for drug trafficking in Indonesia last April 29, but was granted a temporary reprieve following the surrender and subsequent arrest of Sergio and Lacanilao.
In a one page sworn affidavit of desistance dated Aug. 4, 2015, Ana Marie Gonzales said that she was not interested anymore to pursue the case against Sergio and Lacanilao.
Because of this, she asked the court to nullify the case she filed against the said accused because she was not interested anymore to pursue the complaint.
According to Atty. Howard Areza, counsel of Sergio and Lacanilao, the sworn affidavit of desistance had already been submitted before the Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Areza said that based on the affidavit of Gonzales, she did not know that the intent of her going to the Office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Cabanatuan City, together with the relatives of Veloso, was to file a complaint against Sergio and Lacanilao.
Areza explained that once the court approves the nullification of the complaint of Gonzales, the large-scale illegal recruitment complaint against the two accused may be downgraded to simple illegal recruitment.
If that happens, Sergio and Lacanilao can post bail for their temporary liberty, unless they are facing other cases.
The DOJ issued a resolution stating that there was probable cause to file a separate case for qualified trafficking, illegal recruitment and estafa against Sergio, Lacanilao and another respondent identified only as a certain African-looking, “Ike” based on the complaint filed by Veloso herself.
The DOJ also ordered the filing of the criminal case against Sergio and Julius Lacanilao before the Talavera, Nueva Ecija RTC. (PNA)