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The mother of Filipino drug convict Mary Jane Veloso has responded to bashers who criticized her for saying that President Aquino shouldn’t take credit for the stay of her daughter’s execution.
In an interview, Celia Veloso thanked everyone who lit candles and offered prayers so that the death sentence against Mary Jane would not be carried out by Indonesian authorities.
She said her critics do not know the full story of what happened to their family in the last five years since Mary Jane was jailed in April 2010.
“Maraming salamat sa lahat ng nagdasal, nagtirik ng kandila at sa lahat ng sumuporta. Sa mga nagsasabi ng negatibo, maraming salamat din pero hindi niyo kasi alam ang pinagdaanan namin ng limang taon,” she said.
Veloso said she cannot be blamed for her opinion that the Philippine government did not do its best to save her daughter from the time that a death sentence was handed down by an Indonesian court.
She said one attorney from the Department of Foreign Affairs told them there was no hope for Mary Jane because of the large amount of drugs found in her suitcase.
“Halos dalawang taon kami lumapit. Sabi po sa amin nung isang attorney dati sa [Department of Affairs], sa dami ng nakuha sa anak ninyo, hindi na siya makakaligtas,” she recalled.
She added, “Tapos yung Patricia na kino-contact namin. Nag leave daw si Patricia, kumakain daw si Patricia, wala daw si Patricia. Hindi mabibilang kung ilang beses kami kumontak sa DFA. Kaya hindi nila pwede sabihin na hindi kami kumontak. Ngayon na lang sila tumutulong pero yung sulat na binigay ng anak ko ang talagang nakapagpalubag sa loob ni [Indonesian President Joko] Widodo.”
Mary Jane Veloso was caught with 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin at Yogyakarta airport five years ago. She claims the drugs were sewn into her suitcase lining without her knowledge.
Last Apr 29, Indonesian President Joko Widodo postponed Veloso’s execution after President Aquino asked that she be made a witness against a human trafficking ring that duped her into smuggling drugs.
On May 1, Celia said the President should not be credited for the 11th-hour reprieve that saved her daughter from death by firing squad.
“We’ve returned home to the Philippines for payback… This is not about money. The government owes us because they tricked us,” she told reporters.
In an apparent reference to Aquino, she said: “He is telling the whole world that he helped save my daughter’s life. That is not true. Get ready, we are here to charge you. We will fight you.”
Veloso’s sister, Marites Veloso-Laurente, told AFP that the Philippine government failed to provide her with a capable interpreter during her trial.
“Had the government not been remiss, my sister would not have been in trouble,” Marites said.
Presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte denied the charges, saying that as early as 2011, Aquino asked then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for clemency.
Aquino also asked Widodo for clemency and a review of Veloso’s case twice, Valte told AFP.
“The records will bear out the president’s actions very clearly… It is not an issue of who gets credit, but more importantly, Mary Jane was able to get a reprieve for her sentence,” Marites said.
Veloso’s alleged recruiter, Maria Kristina Sergio, is under police custody after she sought protection citing death threats.
The justice department is studying whether a human trafficking and fraud complaint against her would merit filing in court.
“We owe it to the Indonesian government to undertake and complete the investigation as soon as possible,” Philippine foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said. With reports from Agence France-Presse.
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
Photo: News clip
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