Gabriela urges Aquino to save OFW on Indonesia death row

With time running out on Mary Jane Veloso, a woman’s group on Friday urged the Aquino government to exert all efforts to save the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from death row in Indonesia.

Veloso is charged for alleged drug smuggling.

According to Gabriela secretary general Joms Salvador, “another life is in the hands” of President Benigno Aquino III.

“There’s nothing to credit for Mary Jane’s continued suffering on death row but Aquino’s lackluster efforts to save her,” Salvador said.

She said a way to prove Veloso’s innocence was to arrest the recruiter and prove that the OFW had no knowledge about the drugs in her possession when she was arrested.

“Mary Jane’s family can prove that her recruiter and drug trafficker remains at large in their neighborhood in Nueva Ecija,” Salvador said.

“It seems that she has long been suspected to be part of an international drug ring and yet she remains free while Mary Jane is in death row.”

She said Aquino’s plunging trust and popularity rating would further erode should Veloso be executed by firing squad.

“Aquino does not deserve to be in office a single minute more. Because like a plague, his government is causing misery to the Filipino people every minute that he remains in power,” she said. RC