CA stops Veloso testimony vs recruiters

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals has prevented death convict Mary Jane Veloso from testifying in the criminal cases filed against her Philippine recruiters.

In a three-page resolution received by parties yesterday, the 11th Division of the appellate court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 88 from facilitating the taking of Veloso’s deposition or affidavit on April 27.

It granted the immediate relief sought by Veloso’s detained recruiters, couple Ma. Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao, who face qualified human trafficking before the RTC.

The TRO – penned by Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr. and concurred in by Associate Justices Manuel Barrios and Renato Francisco – specifically directed RTC Judge Anarica Castillo-Reyes and the government “to cease and desist from implementing the assailed resolutions during the effectivity thereof and until further orders from this Court.” It is effective for 60 days from its issuance last March 24.

The magistrates explained that the TRO was necessary “to maintain the status quo ante as well as preserve the rights of the parties during the pendency of the instant petition and not to render ineffectual whatever judgment that may be rendered by this Court.”

Veloso’s volunteer lawyer Edre Olalia of the National Union of People’s Lawyers lamented the development, saying the deposition is long overdue.

“A victim of injustice several times over, distressed migrant workers like Mary Jane expect from her compatriots not only to uphold fairness, reason and justice but also to demonstrate empathy and conscience at the very least,” he said in a statement.

Olalia vowed to exhaust all legal remedies to be able to proceed with the taking of Veloso’s testimony as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also expressed hope that justice will be served.

“We will await the time that Mary Jane is given the opportunity to give her statement in a deposition, which is crucial in the case filed against her alleged recruiters. We are confident that justice will ultimately be served,” said DFA spokesman Charles Jose.

Prosecutors wanted to take Veloso’s testimony to bolster the cases against her recruiters, which the government has pursued to save her from death row in Indonesia, where she is detained after a conviction for drug trafficking.

In its ruling in August last year, the RTC allowed the taking of Veloso’s deposition from the Indonesian jail by the Philippine consulate in the presence of the judge.