Filipina on death row: DMW's Ople to take lead on Veloso’s case

Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers Susan Ople announced on Sunday that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would take the lead in the case of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina on death row in Indonesia for drug-related charges. "It will be the Department of Foreign Affairs who will be taking the lead primarily for two reasons: one, it has the institutional merit and knowledge on the status of the case; and second, and I am pretty sure Secretary Trixie will agree with me on the importance of speaking with one voice for a case that has such... very sensitive dimensions," Ople said in a press briefing. Ople recalled that the Veloso parents' letter to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., asking him to bring Mary Jane home, was brought to her office last Friday and that she had transmitted it to the DFA. The secretary pleaded for prayers on behalf of Veloso's family and insisted that the DFA was taking the "diplomatic track" in dealing with the situation. "I think it's crucial that we keep praying, as there is a diplomatic track but also a divine one. The divine track is that of prayers . Let's keep praying for the best for the family and hoping for the best for themselves "Ople expressed. On the other hand, Cruz-Angeles, Marcos' press secretary, has stated that they cannot confirm or deny whether or not Veloso's case will be discussed with Indonesian officials during President Marcos' state visit. "It's always an issue, perhaps it will be broached by both parties. By one or both countries. We'll have to see. I understand it's, well, since a pending issue, it may be inescapable. We will announce if it is taken up," Cruz-Angeles said. Cruz-Angeles emphasized that the government cannot comment further because of the topic's sensitivity. Veloso is currently in detention in Indonesia due to drug trafficking charges. She denied the allegations against her, saying that her recruiters tricked her into smuggling drugs into Indonesia in a suitcase. In 2010, more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin were discovered in her baggage at Yogyakarta Airport. Veloso's recruiters, Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao were charged with human trafficking, illegal recruitment, and estafa cases. In April 2015, Veloso was supposed to be executed by the firing squad. A last-minute appeal from then President Benigno Aquino III and the arrest of the recruiters in the Philippines prompted Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare her life at the last minute. BKM/ Expat Media Also read: Mary Jane Veloso execution ‘postponed indefinitely’
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