Veloso: ‘Don’t do anything to strain PH-Indonesia ties’

“HUWAG na huwag gagawa ng ikasisira ng relasyon ng Pilipinas at Indonesia (Don’t do anything to strain the Philippine-Indonesia relations).”

That was what Mary Jane Veloso told officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as she spent her final moments with her family in the maximum-security prison island of Nusakambagan on Tuesday.

In an update sent to reporters, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said that Veloso told her family not to do anything to damage the country’s relations with Indonesia.

Veloso allegedly said that there are many good Indonesians that she has met while being detained.

“She admonished her family not to do anything that would damage Philippines-Indonesia relations. She said there are many good Indonesians. The ones she was with are all good to her. They were her family in past five years,” Jose said.

The Foreign Affairs spokesperson said that that Veloso had lunch with her family and that there were “tearful goodbyes.”

The Veloso family seemed “resigned” but is still hoping for a miracle, he added.

The 30-year-old mother of two said that she preferred a simple dress and make-up for her execution.

Veloso also thanked President Benigno Aquino III and the Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario for their help.

The 72-hour deadline upon the receipt of Veloso’s notice of execution will expire on 6 p.m. (Philippine time) yet the Indonesian attorney general’s office said that exact date of the execution would not be announced.

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