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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Mary Jane Veloso prepares to testify vs recruiters

Mary Jane Veloso prepares to testify vs recruiters

Published May 6, 2026 08:22 pm

At A Glance

  • Veloso's lawyer, National Union of People's Lawyer (NUPL) president Edre Olalia, had a case conference with public prosecutors during his visit to DOJ.
  • The alleged recruiters already got convicted back in 2020 by the Nueva Ecija RTC for large scale illegal recruitment and sentenced them to suffer life imprisonment and ordered them to pay a fine of P2 million.
  • Veloso returned to the Philippines on Dec. 18, 2024.
Mary Jane Veloso meets with her family and relatives upon arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City on December 18, 2024. (Santi San Juan/MANILA BULLETIN)
Mary Jane Veloso meets with her family and relatives upon arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City on December 18, 2024. (Santi San Juan/MANILA BULLETIN)
Convicted drug courier Mary Jane Veloso is preparing to testify for the first time against her two alleged illegal recruiters.
This was revealed by lawyer and National Union of People’s Lawyer (NUPL) president Edre Olalia, the legal counsel of the Filipino, to reporters on Wednesday, May 6, when he visited the Department of Justice (DOJ) with the parents of Veloso.
“We had a case conference with the public prosecutor,” said Olalia.
The lawyer explained that the case conference was “in anticipation of the testimony of Mary Jane in the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court.”
Olalia explained that Veloso is the complainant in the pending case against her alleged illegal recruiters and married couple Ma. Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao who are facing charges of qualified human trafficking, estafa and illegal recruitment.
The NUPL official noted “she is the only remaining prosecution witness which has been long delayed for different reasons.”
Olalia said the case against the couple was originally filed in the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Nueva Ecija but last December the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the case transferred to the Mandaluyong RTC.
The couple already got convicted back in 2020 by the Nueva Ecija RTC for large scale illegal recruitment and sentenced them to suffer life imprisonment and ordered them to pay a fine of P2 million.
The case concerns the complaint filed by their victims, namely, Lorna Valino, Ana Marie Gonzales, and Jenalyn Paraiso.
Mother's Day Gift
With mother’s day approaching this May 10, Olalia expressed hope that freedom would be the best gift that could be granted to Veloso who is currently imprisoned at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
“Siguro maganda na tiyempo ‘yun (It would be a good timing). But anyday is a good time as any,” he said.
With this, the lawyer called on President Marcos to grant Veloso absolute clemency.
Meanwhile, Olalia said Veloso has pending habeas corpus petition that has been filed before the Supreme Court (SC) last November and sought that the high court compel the government to free the mother of two.
Veloso was arrested in 2010 upon her arrival at the Yogyakarta Airport in Indonesia for attempting to bring in 2.6 kilos of heroin.
Though she got convicted and sentenced to death, Veloso received reprieve in 2015 after then President Benigno Aquino III appealed her case before Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Veloso returned to the Philippines on Dec. 18, 2024.

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