Mary Jane Veloso

Mary Jane Veloso
Born Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso
1984/1985 (age 30–31)[1]
Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
Occupation domestic worker
Criminal penalty
 Death penalty
Criminal status On death row
Conviction(s) Drug trafficking (2010)

Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso is a Filipina woman who was arrested and sentenced to death for allegedly smuggling heroin into Indonesia. Her case, among others, sparked international attention towards Indonesia's capital punishment and illegal drug prohibition laws.

Background

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in April 2010 for allegedly smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin in a suitcase.[2] Throughout her trial, she maintained her innocence, claiming that she was duped into carrying the suitcase by her godsister who convinced her to go to Indonesia after losing a job in Malaysia.[3][4]

She was sentenced to death in October 2010 but was spared due to a moratorium on capital punishment by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. She was again scheduled to be executed on January 2015 after the election of Joko Widodo as President of Indonesia.[5]

After her appeals to have her sentence reversed were rejected by the Indonesian courts, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III personally appealed to Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to grant her clemency during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on April 27, 2015.[6]

She was supposed to be executed in Nusa Kambangan together with the Bali Nine duo from Australia, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, along with Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, one Indonesian and four Nigerians at 1:00 AM WIB (2:00 AM PHT) of April 29, 2015.[7]

On the midnight of April 29, 2015, the set date of execution, Veloso was spared from death at the very last minute so she can stand as a witness during the trial of her alleged human trafficker.[8] She was granted a stay of execution after reports that her trafficker surrendered to the police.[9]

The Indonesian government spared Veloso from execution at the last minute, after receiving a request from Manila to allow her to give evidence against her alleged trafficker Maria Kristina Sergio.[10] Her mother believes Veloso was spared by a 'miracle'.[11]

Support

Veloso's case gained support in Indonesia and internationally after her appeals for clemency were rejected.[12]

Notable Indonesians who supported her included chef Rahung Nasution,[13] French-Indonesian singer Anggun, [14] and maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih.[15] Supporters in Veloso's home country of the Philippines included President Benigno Aquino III, Vice-President Jejomar Binay[16] and boxer Manny Pacquiao.[17] Internationally, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta, British tycoon Richard Branson, English musician Tommy Iommi and American author Eve Ensler[18] spoke publicly in support of Veloso.

The petition to have her released in Change.org was the fastest ever growing petition from the Philippines with over 50,000 signatories from over 125 countries in four days.[19] On April 27, 2015, during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, representatives from the ASEAN Youth Forum (AYF) personally met with Widodo in an attempt to save Veloso's life.[20]

Personal life

Veloso was born to a poor family in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. She is the youngest of five siblings.[21] She and her husband married when she was around 17 years old but they later separated. They have two sons, aged 6 and 12.[22]

Prior to her arrest, Veloso worked in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for about six months but she had to leave her job because she was almost raped. [23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Philippine press caught out by last-minute execution reprieve for Mary Jane Veloso". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "The inmates executed or spared by Indonesia". BBC News. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Torres-Tupas, Tetch (27 April 2015). "NBI recommends prosecution of Veloso’s recruiters". Inquirer News. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  4. ↑ Bernal, Buena (2 April 2015). "The fate of Mary Jane Veloso". Rappler. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "UN chief to Indonesia: Spare Filipino, other prisoners". philstar.com.
  6. ↑ "Jokowi on Mary Jane: It's about the supremacy of law". Rappler. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  7. ↑ Yenni Kwok. "Philippines: Death-Row Inmate #MaryJane Trending in Indonesia". TIME.com.
  8. ↑ Regan, Helen (29 April 2015). "Indonesia’s Reprieve of Mary Jane Veloso Prompts Widespread Relief". Time. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Navarro, Louie (29 April 2015). "Veloso's execution suspended". CNN Philippines. CNN Philippines, Reuters. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Mary Jane back in prison, to testify vs recruiter - DFA". ABS CBN News. ABS CBN News. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Mother of death row Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, supporters hail ‘miracle’ reprieve". Manila: The Strait Times. Agence France-Presse. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "Supporters claim Mary Jane Veloso is victim of human trafficking". NewsComAu.
  13. ↑ "Indonesian celebrities, netizens decry looming execution of Veloso". inquirer.net.
  14. ↑ "Pacquiao pleads for Indonesia to spare death row Filipina". thenational.ae.
  15. ↑ Yenni Kwok. "Indonesia Set to Execute Foreign Drug Smugglers Early Wednesday". TIME.com.
  16. ↑ "Bali Nine pair's death row inmate, Filipino mother Mary Jane Veloso could be victim of human trafficking, Darwin barrister says". abc.net.au.
  17. ↑ "Pacquiao begs Indonesian leader: Save Mary Jane". Rappler.
  18. ↑ "'Vagina Monologues' author to Widodo: Treat Mary Jane NOT as a criminal but a victim". InterAksyon.com.
  19. ↑ "#SaveMaryJane among most signed Change.org petitions". Rappler.
  20. ↑ "ASEAN youth to Jokowi: #SaveMaryJane". Rappler.
  21. ↑ "FAST FACTS: The case of Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso". Rappler.
  22. ↑ Lindsay Murdoch (28 Apr 2015). "Bali nine case: Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao pleads for Filipina Mary Jane Veloso's life". Sydney Morning Herald.
  23. ↑ "Family of Mary Jane Veloso begs Indonesia for her life". GMA News Online.