Veloso kids set to visit mother in Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines - The children and other relatives of convicted drug smuggler Mary Jane Veloso are set to visit her in jail in Yogyakarta, Indonesia a day after her birthday next week.

“The Save Mary Jane Alliance will celebrate Mary Jane’s birthday on Jan. 10 with a mass, symbolic action and gathering in Nueva Ecija. Family, supporters and advocates all over the world have one birthday wish for her: freedom,” Migrante said.

It belied reports that Mary Jane is included in the next batch of drug convicts to be executed in Indonesia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Attorney General Office (AGO) already denied the report.

A DFA official previously met with Celia Veloso, Mary Jane’s mother, the Velosos’ legal counsels from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) and Migrante.

The Veloso family had requested for a meeting with DFA to discuss the possibility of visiting Mary Jane in jail in time for her 31st birthday on Jan. 10.

Although Mary Jane remains on death row, her case status is the same pending resolution of   legal proceedings in the Philippines, DFA said. 

Migrante’s colleagues and sources in Indonesia also disputed a report in the Jakarta Post containing a general statement of the AGO.

It did not specifically mention Mary Jane. 

However, Migrante continues to call for vigilance and sustained support for the immediate resolution of Mary Jane’s case.

The next scheduled hearing for the qualified trafficking, large-scale illegal recruitment and syndicated estafa cases against Mary Jane’s recruiters is on March 9, a little over a month before the first anniversary of Mary Jane’s temporary reprieve from execution.