Alleged recruiter, drug mule's kin face off at DOJ hearing

MANILA, Philippines - The family of executed drug courier Sally Ordinario-Villanueva and her alleged recruiter swapped accusations at a hearing before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday.

Tita Cacayan, through lawyer Luvimindo Balinang, denied the allegations of human trafficking filed against her by Villanueva’s family, who accused her of handing Villanueva a piece of luggage containing illegal drugs when she went to China in 2008.

During yesterday’s preliminary investigation hearing, presided by Senior State Prosecutor Lilian Doris Alejo, Cacayan faced Villanueva’s family for the first time after the convicted drug mule was executed in China last March 30.

Villanueva’s brother, Jayson Ordinario, read his sister’s letter to the Philippine consulate in China dated Jan.1, 2010, wherein she named Cacayan as her recruiter and the one who gave the suitcase that contained cocaine.

“She (Cacayan) is the one who gave the suitcase to me.... I blame her for not telling me the truth. I trust (sic) her so much... I got deeply hurt by the situation,” Sally was quoted as saying in her letter, which did not reach the consulate.

Ordinario then confronted Cacayan: “Aminin mo na lang para mapatawad ka ng ate ko (Just admit it so my sister can forgive you).”

But Cacayan replied: “Bakit ko aaminin, di ko naman ginagawa? Parehas naman tayong may travel documents (Why will I admit it, when I didn’t do it? We both have travel documents.)”

Cacayan then accused the family of faking the letter just as they purportedly did before, with Villanueva’s name.

“Ang daling gumawa ng sulat. Ginawan mo nga ako ng ibang pangalan, magagawa mo rin iyan (It’s so easy to make a letter. You created a name for me before, you can make a letter now),” she said.

The tension only eased after Alejo intervened and asked the parties not to be combative during the hearing. She directed the Ordinarios to attach the letter in their reply to the counter-affidavit and submit the documents in the next hearing, set on April 25.

The investigating fiscal set clarificatory hearings on the complaint upon request of the Ordinario family.

Ordinario, who filed a separate complaint for kidnapping and transport of illegal drugs against Cacayan after confessing that he was also recruited by her as drug mule in 2009, presented to the media two persons he said would corroborate his claim.

“Her two other victims are here. Cacayan said she will give them jobs in Malaysia, but when they reached Malaysia, they were made to swallow drugs,” he said.