Duterte should talk directly to Mary Jane Veloso’s family —Migrante

Pro-OFW group Migrante International chairman Gary Martinez on Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte should talk to the family of Mary Jane Veloso to clarify reports he gave the go-signal for her execution in Indonesia. 
In an interview on Unang Balita, Martinez said Duterte must go directly to the Veloso family or out in public to personally explain what he said in his meeting with Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo.
"Tingin ko para maalis ito, maalis 'yung agam-agam kung ano talaga mangyayari kay Mary Jane, tingin ko si Pangulong Duterte ay kausapin na ang pamilya Veloso, direkta na sa publiko. Siya lang ang makakapagbigay linaw sa usaping ito," he said.
A report from the Jakarta Post on Monday said Duterte gave the "go-ahead" to Widodo to execute Veloso on charges of drug trafficking. 
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Monday clarified that Duterte said "follow your own laws" instead of giving the green light for the execution. 
Martinez said he asked Indonesia-based Migrante members for the exact translation of Widodo's pronouncements.
"Ang sinasabi ng mga kaibigan natin sa Indonesia, kasi ang daming tumatawag sa amin, kaya ang sabi namin ano ba talaga ang translation? Sabi niya, kung ano ang narinig niyo, 'yun na 'yun," he said.
Martinez added the family was surprised regarding the development since they were on a festive mood following Duterte's pronouncement that he discussed Veloso's case with Widodo.
"Nabigla kaming lahat kasi nung Linggo nasa festive mood lahat—ang pamilya, ang supporters. Noong bumulaga sa atin ito, ang unang tanong namin, 'Ano ang nangyayari?' Sumunod na minute ay iba-iba na 'yung statement na nanggagaling sa Palasyo. Ang hinihingi agad namin, magpaliwanag na si Presidente Duterte o si Sec. Yasay. Ano ba talaga?" Martinez said.
Meanwhile, Veloso's mother Celia said on Unang Balita on Tuesday that she holds firm Malacañang's denial and Duterte's statement.
"Pinanghahawakan namin ang sinabi ng Pangulo. Hindi kami basta naniniwala. Kahapon nga nag-iyakan na kaming pamilya, pero naalala namin ang sinabi niya na sa amin (na) sasabihin ang pinag-usapan nila ni Widodo. Kaya sabi namin hihintayin namin ang sasabihin," Celia said.
However, the family has yet to receive any communication from Duterte or Malacañang, Celia added.
Celia also said Veloso's Filipino lawyer, Edre Olalia, assured the family that Duterte only said he will not interfere with Indonesia's laws. 
"Si Attorney Olalia po, ang sabi po niya walang katotohanan 'yung mga naibalita na si Mary Jane po ay bibitayin. Ang sabi po ng ating Presidente, kung (ano) raw po ang kuwan ng Indonesia, igagalang niya. Ganun po ang sinabi, hindi po sinabi ni Presidente Duterte na bibitayin si Mary Jane [at] pumayag siya. 'Di po totoo 'yun," she said.
Veloso was arrested in Yogyakarta on April 25, 2010 after 2.6 kilograms of heroin were found in her luggage.
She was sentenced to death on October 11, 2010.
Veloso was spared from execution on April 29, 2015 following the appeal of the Philippine government in the light of a case against her alleged recruiter. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KG, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more