DFA to continue assistance to Veloso’s family

Protesters pause for a prayer as they gather outside the Indonesian Embassy in Makati City to appeal to the Indonesian government to spare the life of convicted Filipino drug trafficker Mary Jane Veloso. AP

Despite the allegations of Mary Jane Veloso’s family, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it would continue to extend assistance to the Filipina death convict and her family.

“The Philippine government has and continues to extend its assistance to Mary Jane Veloso and her family,” the DFA said in a statement Friday night.

The DFA issued the statement after Celia, the mother of Mary Jane, said that it is the people and not the Philippine government, who save Veloso from execution.

Celia has slammed the Aquino administration for credit-grabbing on Veloso’s last-minute reprieve.

Celi also assailed the inaction of the Aquino administration and the DFA in handling her daughter’s case.

Celia claimed that the DFA has not provided the necessary documents needed for Mary Jane’s case and that they were snubbed by the agency during the time they were seeking for help.

The DFA, however, belied these reports.

“DFA had consistently been updating the public of the Philippine government’s efforts, from providing legal assistance, undertaking representations at the highest levels of the Indonesian government to coordinating prison visits of Mary Jane’s family including covering their cost of travel,” the DFA said.

The agency assured that it is committed in pursuing the charges filed against Mary Jane’s recruiter, Maria Kristina Sergio, adding that it “was vital in securing the reprieve of Mary Jane.”

“We believe that focusing on this most important objective will help Mary Jane more at this time,” it said. TVJ

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