Mary Jane Veloso's lawyers in PHL ask court to junk recruiters' MR

Filipino lawyers of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina death row convict in Indonesia who was given a temporary reprieve last April, have asked a Nueva Ecija court to deny the motion for reconsideration filed by her alleged recruiters.

Because of the pending motion for reconsideration filed by the defense, the Baloc Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, granted its request to suspend the arraignment of  Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao last November 11.

The defense was asking the court to reconsider its October 25, 2015 ruling denying its Motion for Bill of Particulars, specifically the court records of Veloso's conviction in Indonesia.

In its motion, the defense argued that denial of the records "exhibited [the court's] prejudgement of the case."

But in their 13-page comment to the motion, Veloso's lawyers led by Edre Olalia said the request made by the defense was "unnecessary and immaterial to the case."

They noted that the Information of the case "already provides in a concise and ordinary language, and in terms sufficient to inform the accused of the nature and cause of the accusation against them, and to enable the Honorable Court to pronounce judgment."

"As held by the Honorable Court, moreover, the details being requested by accused-movants on the incarceration of private complainant Veloso are unnecessary and
immaterial to the case," they added.

"Considering the foregoing, the prosecution submits that the accused-movants‘ instant Motion for Reconsideration must be denied," they said.

Veloso's lawyers also said the court's denial of the defense's Motion for Bill of Particulars did not "upset" the balance between the constitutional right of the accused to be informed on the nature of the accusation them and the right of the State to prosecute transgressors of the law.

"Such balance, although delicate, has not been upset by the denial of the Honorable Court of accused-movants‘ Motion for Bill of Particulars," they said.

Sergio and Lacanilao were accused of tricking Veloso into carrying a bag with 2.6 kilograms of heroin to Indonesia. —KBK, GMA News