Mary Jane Veloso kin want recruiter arrested

THE family of Mary Jane Veloso has appealed to the Philippine government to go after the alleged illegal recruiter of the overseas Filipino worker who will soon be executed by the Indonesian government for drug smuggling.

Her mother Celia Veloso, in a press conference Thursday, urged the government to arrest a certain Kristina “Tintin” Sergio, who according to her, remains free in Talavera town, Nueva Ecija province.

She said the arrest of Sergio would help prove the innocence of Mary Jane.

Global alliance of overseas Filipinos Migrante International supported the appeal of Veloso.

According to Gary Martinez, chairperson of Migrante, Sergio “has not been invited for questioning, much less apprehended or charged with anything pertaining to her involvement in Mary Jane’s case.”

Gov’t neglect

“Ilang taon po kaming lumapit sa gobyerno natin. Halos pabalik-balik, iisa lang po ang isinasagot nila sa amin, gagawin daw po nila ang lahat ng magagawa nila pero inabot na po ng limang taon pero wala po kaming nakita na tulong nila,” Veloso’s mother said.

According to Martinez, Veloso was a victim and should not be executed.

“She was not only a victim of international drug trafficking syndicates but also of government neglect,” he said.

The Migrante official assailed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for allegedly being the primary cause of delay of the much-needed urgent legal aid.

He said the Veloso family , on April 10, submitted a written request to the DFA asking for “pertinent documentation and all documentary evidence of any actions, developments or updates on Mary Jane’s case.”

The DFA, however, has not provided the family the documents as of Thursday, Martinez said.

The members of the Veloso family had recently availed themselves of the pro bono legal services of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) to represent and assist them in Mary Jane’s case.

“We are literally racing against time yet it appears that the DFA is going through the usual flaccid motions and unnecessary red tape despite the very obvious urgency of the situation,” Martinez said.

Flying to Indonesia

The Veloso family with Migrante are set to fly to Indonesia on Friday, April 17, to meet with Mary Jane’s Indonesian lawyer to conduct a research and gather information on the case that the “DFA had failed to provide.”

In February, the Veloso family went to Indonesia and met with Mary Jane.

Her father, Caesar, said that her daughter was still happy at that time because she still doesn’t know about her execution.

“She was very happy,” her father said.

He said that his daughter told him not to worry because they would see each other again.

“Alam ko na magkikita pa tayo,” Mary Jane was quoted as saying.

A son’s appeal

Mark Daniel Candelaria, 10-year old son of Mary Jane, also appealed to the Aquino administration to help her mother, saying she is innocent.

“Sana po tulungaan niyo po yung Mama ko. Wala naman po talagang kasalanan yung Mama ko. Sana po gumawa sila ng paraan para makalaya po si Mama,” Candelaria told INQUIRER.net.

He said he missed her mother so much.

“I love you so much, Mama. I miss you so much,” he said.

Drug case and death sentence

In 2010, Veloso was arrested in an Indonesian airport after authorities found packs of heroin weighing 2.6 kilograms hidden inside her suitcase.

Veloso was a domestic helper in Dubai, but was offered another job by Sergio as a domestic helper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Indonesian Supreme Court has rejected a request for a review of Veloso’s case because it did not find new evidence to support reopening the case.

Veloso was supposed to be executed in a firing squad on April 10 but it was postponed until all legal procedures are completed. AC