Vice President Jejomar Binay will leave for Indonesia to make an appeal to President Joko Widodo in his last-ditch effort to save the life of convicted drug mule Mary Jane Veloso.
Indonesian embassy in Makati to call on President Joko Widodo to stop
the execution of Veloso. DANNY PATA
The Vice President will leave for Indonesia on April 22 to attend the Asian–African Summit in Bandung but will use the visit to appeal to Widodo to spare the life of Veloso who said she was a victim of a drug smuggling syndicate.
“I am hoping that we will be given the opportunity to personally appeal to His Excellency’s kind heart for the commutation of the sentence of Mary Jane,” Binay said in a statement.
“I intend to bring to His Excellency our people’s hope for compassion, given the circumstances surrounding the case,” Binay said.
Widodo had appealed to the King of Saudi Arabia not to execute an Indonesian domestic worker.
“I am certain His Excellency understands why we in government are doing all we can to save the life of our kababayan. It is the responsibility of governments to come to the aid of their countrymen, especially those in difficult circumstances,” he said.
Veloso was caught carrying heroin after she arrived at the Indonesian airport on an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur. The heroin was found in her traveling bag.
Binay was saddened by the Indonesian Supreme Court for not granting Veloso’s first request for a judicial review of her case.
But the Philippine government reiterates its respect for Indonesia’s laws and legal system.
Binay said he hopes Indonesia will look on Veloso with compassion since she is not part of any organized drug syndicate. “She, too, was a victim,” he said.
The Vice President said a person whom Veloso trusted and knew personally “took advantage of her trust when she asked Veloso to hand carry a luggage containing illegal drugs.”
Binay will attend the summit that will gather leaders from 29 countries “to discuss peace, security, and economic development in the midst of emerging problems in many parts of the world.”
While in Indonesia, the Vice President will hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, on issues concerning Philippines and Indonesian relations.
The Vice President is also set to attend activities hosted by Indonesian President Widodo, including a 20-minute historical walk from Savoy Homann Hotel to Gedung Merdeka.
Binay, who concurrently serves as Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns, is also scheduled to hold a dialog with the Filipino community in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, two Filipinos were sentenced to three months in jail by a United Arab Emirates court for trying to steal electronic gadgets, including an iPad tablet, from the store they worked in last February. The two pleaded guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
“We are guilty, but we want to pay for the items that we took and settle this dispute,” said one of the Filipinos.
The two will be deported and banned from returning to that country after serving their sentence.
The two OFWs, whose identity were withheld, stole items worth Dh13,381 and tried to smuggle them out of their workplace in February, according to reports.
In another development, Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos called on President Aquino to stop the deployment of Filipino workers abroad by creating more jobs in the country.
Santos, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Migrants, said the exodus of OFWs is causing a ‘brain drain’ and destroying the Filipino family. With Sara Fabunan