Mary Jane’s parents rejoice over recruiters’ conviction, Migrante hopes it leads to pardon


The parents of Mary Jane Veloso on Thursday rejoiced over the guilty verdict against two recruiters who allegedly tricked their daughter into smuggling illegal drugs into Indonesia.
Judge Anarica Castillo-Reyes sentenced them to life imprisonment and ordered them to pay a fine of P2 million.
Cesar and Celia Veloso believe the verdict will help their daughter’s case.

“Alam ko makatutulong ‘yun…malaking tulong,” Celia said in a video posted by Migrante International on Facebook on Thursday.
Mary Jane Veloso’s testimony tentatively set for December
Cesar also expressed his joy over the decision. “Talagang masayang-masaya ako noong narinig ko ‘yung basa kanina na guilty,” he said.
According to Migrante, the conviction of the recruiters shows their inclination to the crime that brought Veloso close to the execution line.
“The outcome of this case shows her innocence and the justness of her desire to be free,” Migrante said in a statement.
“We now challenge the Duterte government to make use of this juncture to assert Mary Jane's clemency,” it added.
However, while it welcomed the court’s decision, Malacañang said the conviction will have no implication on Veloso’s case in Indonesia.
“As a lawyer, there is no connection. She’s been charged with a crime there [in Indonesia], nothing to do with the conviction [here],” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told reporters on Thursday.
Veloso was sentenced to death after being caught with 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage at Yogyakarta airport in 2010.
She was spared from execution in 2015 after Sergio surrendered. Then-President Benigno Aquino III had proposed to the Indonesian government that Veloso be turned into a witness in the local case against her alleged traffickers. — Joviland Rita with Virgil Lopez/BM, GMA News

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