SC asked to speed up case vs Veloso recruiters

MANILA, Philippines - The judiciary was asked yesterday to take advantage of Indonesia’s pronouncement that executions are not its priority and speed up the case of human trafficking against the alleged recruiters of convicted drug smuggler Mary Jane Veloso before a court in Nueva Ecija.

It was a welcome relief that execution is not Indonesia’s priority, said Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)-Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People chairman. 

“Our hope is heightened that life is saved and Mary Jane will be proven innocent,” he said.

Santos hopes that the human trafficking case before Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court Branch 37 against Veloso’s alleged recruiters, Maria Cristina Sergio and her live-in partner Julius Lacanilao, would be resolved soon.

“Indonesia court waits and will rely on our court decision,” he said.

“We appeal to our juridical officials to speed up the process.  And so Mary Jane could be spared immediately of continual stay and suffering in prison.”