Veloso family saddened by interrupted visit to Mary Jane

Published Dec 15, 2024, 2:36:03 PM

Officers take the death row inmate of a drug case, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso (C) of the Philippines, to her first judicial review trial in the District Court of Sleman, Yogyakarta, March 3, 2015. Veloso's plea for clemency had been rejected by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and she is expected to be executed with Bali Nine members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran of Australia and other drug smugglers from Brazil, France and Nigeria. (Ignatius Eswe/Reuters)

Metro Manila Philippines - The family of Mary Jane Veloso, the overseas Filipino worker convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia, has expressed extreme disappointment after their scheduled visit to her will not push through.

The family said they received a message from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 9:13 a.m., saying their visit to Yogyakarta, Indonesia from Dec. 16 to 18 has been canceled.

“Ayon sa DFA, ngayong araw nakatakda ang pag byahe ni Mary Jane papuntang Jakarta para simulan ang proceso ng kanyang pag transfer sa Pilipinas, alinsunod sa utos ng Indonesian Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections. Ang pag uwi ni Mary Jane sa Pilipinas ay wala pang depinidong petsa,” the family said in a statement.

[Translation: According to the DFA, Mary Jane is set to go to Jakarta today for the processing of her transfer to the Philippines, in accordance with the order of the Indonesian Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections. Her return to the Philippines has no definite date.]

“Kami, mga magulang at anak ni Mary Jane ay nanghihinayang na hindi kami matutuloy sa pagbisita kay Mary Jane dahil napaghandaan po namin ito at nasasabik namin siyang makasama makalipas ng isang taon mula ng huli naming bisita sa kanya,” they said.

[Translation: We, the parents and children of Mary Jane, regret that we won’t be able to visit her as we prepared for this and we are excited to be with her after one year since our last visit.]

The family, however, said that they are overjoyed with the approaching return of Mary Jane to the country.

The Philippines and Indonesia reached an agreement to have Veloso, who was on death row, return to her home country.

Groups have been calling for the granting of clemency for Veloso, who maintains her innocence of the crime. The persons whom she said planted drugs in her baggage have been arrested and charged.

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