Binay on Veloso: ‘Let us just pray harder’

Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Vice President Jejomar Binay  called on Filipinos to “pray harder” for Mary Jane Veloso, as he reported her situation had already been relayed to his Indonesian counterpart and others.

Binay had just arrived from Indonesia where he attended the Asian-African conference–also known as the Bandung conference—when he held a press conference for reporters waiting for him at the    Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.

The vice president arrived before  6 a.m.

“Let us pray for her. Let us just pray harder because those I talked to, they understand, but some say ‘It so happened the current situation is that there is an operation against those involved in drug abuse’,” Binay said.

According to Binay, who is also the   presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns, the people he spoke to about Veloso included   some Indonesian Cabinet members, a “really high-ranking individual” he refused to identify, and  Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

“I was surprised I got to sit beside that high-ranking person. Really high-ranking,” Binay said, saying he would not elaborate for fear the person might feel uncomfortable seeing his name in the media.

He later, however, said he was referring to   a Jesuit priest who served as a spiritual adviser to those in prison.

He said the religious figure himself was   “convinced” Veloso “did not do anything wrong.”

As for Kalla, Binay said he spoke to him several times.

“In our formal talk, I didn’t tell him yet (about Veloso) in front of many..we only whispered to each other, and then I gave my letter and President (Aquino’s) letter (of appeal). And then when it was dinnertime, we talked again,” Binay said.

He said when they were in Bandung, he also managed to mention to Kalla that he (Binay) was “saddened to hear” that Veloso had been transferred to Nusa Kambangan island in Central Java, where executions were held.

“He said, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know’..So we have a chance with the Vice President (Kalla), if he talks to the President,” Binay said, referring to Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

“All those I talked to,   they can relay (the information) to Widodo. Because you have to understand that the discretion will come from the (Indonesian) president,” Binay added.

Binay said when he spoke about Veloso, he used an  approach based on “humanitarian” grounds and did not talk   much about the “process in court.”

Binay was referring to a petition for second judicial review of Veloso’s case that is pending at the District Court in Sleman, Yogyakarta since Friday.

“So maybe the Asian attitude, I think. You are the one making the appeal,”   Binay said, noting that some countries–two in particular– that also had citizens on death row came across as “bad” when they  “even issued threats.”

According to Binay, although he saw Widodo and joked around with him   a bit, he got “shy” and did not know how to mention Veloso’s situation to him.

Binay said he also met with Veloso’s two siblings and father in Jakarta.

Asked what he thought were Veloso’s chances of being spared from the death row, he said he believed there was a “50 plus 1” chance out of 100.

He said this was Veloso’s first time in Indonesia, and unlike Australia whose representatives were summoned by the Indonesian foreign ministry to the prison island  on Friday  morning, Philippine representatives   were summoned later,  on Friday  afternoon.

Binay said it was unclear if the summon was in keeping with the required 72-hour prior notice before execution, or if it was related to the filing of a petition for a second judicial review of Veloso’s case.

“But let us pray harder. Let us just pray harder. The power of prayer hopefully,” Binay said.