Mary Jane Veloso: Mother of Filipina spared from Indonesia firing squad hails

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tricia_nikki

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ABC

Updated about 3 hours ago



A Philippines woman who was due to face an Indonesian firing squad alongside Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran has been given a last-minute reprieve.

Mary Jane Veloso was due to be executed on the Nusakambangan prison island this morning.

But she was spared after someone suspected of recruiting her and tricking her into carrying drugs to Indonesia turned themselves in to authorities in the Philippines, a text message from Indonesian attorney-general spokesman Tony Spontana to the ABC confirmed.

The message said the stay of execution was the result of a request by the Philippines president, and that Veloso would be required to give testimony at the trial of the alleged drug trafficker.

The reprieve does not mean she will not be executed at a future date.

Veloso's mother told Philippine radio on Wednesday: "Miracles do come true".

"We are so happy, I can't believe it. I can't believe my child will live," Celia Veloso told Philippine radio station DZMM.

Veloso's story has been gathering speed in Jakarta, where it has been taken up by women's rights groups who are concerned she is a victim of human trafficking.

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, who is in the United States for a title fight, earlier made a televised appeal to Indonesian president Joko Widodo on behalf of his countrywoman, saying: "I am begging and knocking on your kind heart that your excellency will grant executive clemency to her."

The only woman on the list of those to be executed today, 30-year-old Veloso was arrested at Adisucipto International Airport in April 2010 after being found with 2.6 kilograms of heroin.

She had been sentenced to death by the Sleman District Court in October 2010 for attempting to smuggle the heroin into Indonesia from Malaysia.
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tricia_nikki

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Who is Mary Jane Veloso?



Veloso, from the Philippines, is the only woman listed to be executed alongside Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran
   
The 30-year-old was arrested at Adisucipto International Airport in April 2010 after being found with 2.6 kilograms of heroin

She was sentenced to death by the Sleman District Court in October 2010 for attempting to smuggle heroin into Indonesia from Malaysia

Veloso applied for a Judicial Review because she was not provided with a translator during her trial and did not understand proceedings

In March, her application was rejected. Had the review been granted, it could have delayed the executions of those on death row for months.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2015, 12:00:57 AM by tricia_nikki »
Friendship is the art of reaching out and touching someone else's heart.

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juan

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Thank God she was spared! The Aussies weren't.
Probably for clemency on one who did it due to poverty -- not avarice. Shows the kinda risk OFWs are braving. :)

Shame on those parasites back home who are merely depending on us, OFWs, for "charity"! :-[
« Last Edit: April 29, 2015, 05:56:27 AM by juan »
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felix

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hope she'll eventually be released..
"Good people are like wind. You cannot see what is inside thier hearts but you can always feel their goodness and sincerity"

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felix

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"ignorance of the law excuses no one"
"Good people are like wind. You cannot see what is inside thier hearts but you can always feel their goodness and sincerity"

http://felix.boholano.net