De Lima Says Mary Jane Recruiters Used to be Drug Couriers Themselves
Maria Kristina Sergio, the recruiter who allegedly tricked Mary Jane Veloso into bringing illegal drugs to Indonesia, was once a drug courier too, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Wednesday.
Citing information from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), De Lima said Sergio and her live-in partner, Julius Lacanilao, were into the drug trade as early as 2011, traveling in and out of the country several times.
De Lima said this would explain why Sergio, according to the Bureau of Immigration, frequently traveled abroad, mostly in Malaysia, in the past.
Lawyer Howard Areza confers with Christine Sergio (center), the alleged recruiter of Mary Jane Veloso, at the National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, May 6. Mary Jane, who is on death row in Indonesia for drug smuggling, said it was Sergio who tricked her into carrying a bag with 2.6 kilograms of heroin to Indonesia. Danny Pata
“They started as drug couriers and drug mules and they recruited others to become drug couriers and drug mules like Mary Jane,” De Lima told reporters after emerging from a meeting with officials from the NBI, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Up to now, however, authorities are still trying to zero in on which syndicate the two belong to.
De Lima said investigators described to her “the picture or mechanics” in the apparent drug mule recruitment scheme.
“Ganoon talaga. Parang may multiplier effect. Kapag nag-start as drug mules, ang susunod ay recruiter… parang networking,” she said.
“Some of them start as mules and turn into recruiters and recruit other prospective drug mules. It’s always for a price,” De Lima added.
Since Sergio and Lacanilao, who underwent inquest proceedings Tuesday night, have officially been “arrested” due to fresh complaints from more than 10 other complainants, they will now be kept under the custody of the NBI in Manila. They were previously held under the protective custody of the PNP.
Looking good
De Lima said things are “looking good” regarding the mutual legal assistance (MLA) request that the government is preparing to submit to the Indonesian government to allow Veloso to testify against her recruiters.
She said the new complaints against Sergio and Lacanilao would be “helpful” in the separate case involving Veloso, because they would establish that the two suspects were indeed into illegal recruitment.
“Mary Jane was first a victim of illegal recruitment and human trafficking before she became a drug mule or a drug courier,” De Lima said.
Meanwhile, De Lima said investigators are still confirming if the “Ike” popping up in the NBI’s database as a member of the West African drug syndicate is the same “Ike” that worked with Sergio in duping Veloso into sneaking 2.6 kilos of heroin into Indonesia from Malaysia in 2010.
De Lima, however, said “there is strong indication” that “Ike” and his brother “Prince” belong to the West African drug syndicate.
Veloso was arrested at the Yogyakarta Airport and subsequently sentenced to death, but her execution was temporarily put on hold last week following widespread appeal, including from the Philippine government.
PNP office-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, who attended the meeting at the DOJ, said the fact that Veloso was caught transporting heroin in her luggage would offer a clue as to which drug syndicate is involved.
“You know, heroin is very crime syndicate-specific. Madali naming matutunton ito. Mapapansin niyo hindi prevalent dito, so we research sa labas [ng Pilipinas],” said Espina.
Espina assured the public that “very soon” authorities would be able to determine if the West African drug syndicate was indeed behind Veloso’s case.