Suspected Recruiter Of Filipina On Death Row Surrenders

The suspected recruiter of a Filipina awaiting execution as early as late Tuesday in Indonesia has surrendered to Philippine police, according to local media.



Maria Kristina Sergio turned herself over to a police station in Cabanatuan City out of fear for her life after being tagged as the recruiter who allegedly facilitated Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso's entry into Indonesia, radio DZMM reported.



Veloso is among eight foreigners and one Indonesian set to face the firing squad on Nusa Kambangan penal island after they were issued 72-hour execution notices Saturday.



Veloso, a single mother of two sons who sought work in Malaysia as a maid, was arrested while smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin at Yogyakarta airport, Java island, in April 2010.



Her family and migrant rights groups have insisted that she is an innocent human trafficking victim and was tricked into smuggling the drugs by the wife of a family friend who promised her a job in Indonesia.



Sergio was reportedly with her partner and fellow recruiter, Julius Lacanilao, when she went to the police at around 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that Sergio expressed fears that she could be harmed by Veloso's relatives and supporters if the inmate is executed.



The surrender comes after the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation filed a complaint Monday against Sergio, Lacanilao and another suspect identified as an African national known as Ike to the Department of Justice for illegal recruitment, human trafficking and estafa.



Last week, Sergio denied her involvement in a drug syndicate and allegations of her role in the drugs found in Veloso's luggage on ABS-CBN News.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Zamboanga