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Filipino drug convict Mary Jane Veloso’s family begs Indonesia leader to grant her ‘gift of freedom’
- The family’s appeal comes as Indonesian President Joko Widodo met his counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in Manila, partly to discuss Veloso’s case
- The Philippine government and Veloso’s lawyer hope the Filipino can file a formal statement in her case that could be used in court
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The family of Mary Jane Veloso – a Filipino woman on death row in Indonesia after her conviction for drug trafficking – pleaded with Indonesian President Joko Widodo for clemency during his visit on Wednesday to the presidential palace in Manila to meet his counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.
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On the day Veloso turned 39 years old, her parents Celia and Cesar, as well as her two sons Mark Daniel, 21, and Mark Darren, 16, travelled over five hours from Nueva Ecija province to submit a letter of appeal for her case, which was hand-delivered to the palace by a lawyer representing Veloso.
“I have aches all over my body. I don’t want to leave this earth without my daughter coming back to me,” said Celia, Veloso’s 61-year-old mother. “It’s Mary Jane’s birthday today. I hope she receives the gift of freedom.”
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Veloso has been on death row in Yogyakarta since 2010 due to a drug smuggling conviction after being arrested for carrying 2.6kg of heroin in her suitcase at the Adisutjipto International Airport in the city. In 2015, Widodo granted her a reprieve just hours before her scheduled execution.
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