Pacquiao thanks Jokowi on maiden Indonesia visit

Manny Pacquiao. AFP FILE PHOTO

Superstar Philippine boxer Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao on Wednesday arrived on Semarang, Central Java, for his first visit to the country. Pacquiao expressed his desire to meet President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to personally thank him for postponing the execution of compatriot Mary Jane Veloso, who is on death row for drug crimes.

Pacquiao, who was accompanied by his wife Jinkee Jamora, arrived at Semarang’s Achmad Yani International Airport on Wednesday morning before immediately heading to Jatidiri Sports Hall, where he was scheduled to shoot a TV commercial for a local herbal medicine product.

Speaking to reporters, Pacquiao, who made a public appeal to President Jokowi to spare Veloso’s life in late April, a few days before his US$400 million megafight with American boxer Floyd Mayweather, said he wanted to express his gratitude to the President, whose government awarded Veloso an 11th hour temporary reprieve. “[I want to] say thank you,” he said.

The 30-year old Veloso was among nine convicts scheduled to face a firing squad on April 29 for drug trafficking charge. She was arrested in possession of 2.6 kilograms of heroin at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta in 2010.

The Attorney General’s Office, however, decided to delay Veloso’s execution after she was named witness in a human trafficking case being investigated by the Philippine authorities.

Pacquiao, who is also a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, said he was looking to meet Veloso, who is being held at the Wirogunan penitentiary in Yogyakarta. “I want to visit Mary Jane Veloso,” he said.

Wirogunan penitentiary warden Zaenal Arifin confirmed on Wednesday that Pacquiao had submitted an official request to visit Veloso.

Zaenal, as quoted by tempo.co, said Pacquiao would visit the prison on Thursday for an initial meeting with the warden. His meeting with Veloso, Zaenal added, would be scheduled for either Friday or Saturday.

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