Mary Jane Veloso's ma says no to death penalty, yes to war on drugs
Celia Veloso, whose daughter Mary Jane Veloso is facing execution in Indonesia, has retracted her earlier statement throwing support to the proposed revival of the death penalty.
"Ako po ay hindi sumusoporta sa death penalty," Mrs. Veloso said in a video message released Friday by pro-OFW group Migrante. "Pero sumusuporta ako sa ating mahal na pangulo na mawala ang illegal na droga."
The video was released after Mrs. Veloso was quoted in several reports as saying that she favors the re-imposition of the death penalty with the caveat of fixing the justice system in the Philippines to avoid wrongful executions.
Mrs. Veloso also called on President Rodrigo Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo to go after drug syndicates instead of drug couriers who are often vulnerable persons living in poverty.
"Ako po ay nananawagan sa ating mahal na Pangulo Duterte at sa pangulo ng Indonesia na tulungan nila ang mga biktima sa droga," she said. "Ang dapat habulin nila ang mga sindikato na bumibiktima ng mga mahihirap at inosenteng katulad ni Mary Jane Veloso."
Mary Jane Veloso was sentenced to death in Indonesia for smuggling in 2.6 kilograms of heroin, but her execution was put on hold in 2015 to allow her to testify against the recruiters who allegedly tricked her into bringing the contraband at the Yogyakarta Airport.
Widodo will be in the Philippines to attend the ASEAN Summit on Saturday.
The group met with Sec. Abdullah Mamao, the presidential adviser on OFW concerns around noon with Migrante International program coordinator Laorence Castillo.
Castillo would later on say that Mamao vowed to speak with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II about the cases filed against Maria Kristina Sergio and her partner Julius Lacanilao, Veloso's alleged recruiters. —KBK, GMA News
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