Mary Jane Veloso"s kin hands out clemency appeal letters to Jokowi, Marcos

Mary Jane Veloso’s family on Wednesday handed out letters to Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to appeal for her clemency as the two leaders met at Malacañang Palace, according to Migrante.

Migrante Philippines chairperson Arman Hernando told GMA News Online that the Presidential Security Group (PSG) allowed the legal counsel of the Veloso family to enter the Palace and give the letter.

“Pinayagan ng PSG makapasok si [Atty. Kathy Panguban ng National Union of Peoples' Lawyers] para ipadala ang letter,” he said in text message.'

(The PCG allowed Atty. Panguban to enter the Palace and give the letter.)

Migrante International chairperson Joanna Concepcion confirmed to GMA News Online that the letters have been received.

“Yes, napa-receive ang sulat (Yes, the letter has been received),” she said in a text message.

Veloso’s family and some organizations trooped to Mendiola in Manila to make the appeal to Jokowi.

Migrante expressed support to Veloso’s family and hoped that the Indonesian President would grant their appeal.

“We are one with Mary Jane’s parents in presenting an appeal letter to Presidents Marcos Jr. and Widodo,” Migrante said in a statement.

“We are appealing to President Widodo: We hope that you grant our humanitarian appeal for clemency for Mary Jane,” it added.

Migrante said Veloso has been asserting that she was innocent and was just a victim of human trafficking despite her conviction and death sentence for the crime of drug trafficking in 2010.

In 2015, Jokowi said their government gave Veloso a ”temporary reprieve” from her scheduled execution, as reported by The Jakarta Post.

Jokowi was quoted as saying that the action was a response to a request made by the Philippine government in relation to the case. 

A case of human trafficking and a separate large scale illegal recruitment case were already filed against Veloso’s traffickers Julius Lacanilao and Cristina Sergio in the Regional Trial Court of  Nueva Ecjia.  

A guilty verdict on the illegal recruitment case was handed down on the recruiters in 2020 but the trafficking case remains pending, Migrante said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News