Filipinos in the Lower Mainland met this morning with Indonesian Consul General Sri Wiludjeng and Vice-Consul Esthy Putri Muryanti as part of the international campaign to save the life of Mary Jane Veloso.
“As individuals and as representatives of various community organizations in the Lower Mainland – we join the many others in the Philippines, Indonesia and around the world who earnestly appeal for clemency for Filipino Mary Jane Veloso,” states a joint letter they submitted to President Joko Widodo through Consul General Wiludjeng.
The delegation was organized by Migrante-BC and their appeal is signed by an initial group of 70 individuals from different community organizations, unions, regional groups and others.
The group’s letter adds that, “Mary Jane is a single mother of two young children and she is from a very poor family in the Philippines. When she left them in 2010, she thought it was to work in Malaysia as a domestic helper as promised by the daughter of her Godfather. Instead, she was deceived by an international criminal drug syndicate into carrying luggage with 2.6 kilos of heroin to Indonesia – where she was subsequently arrested and sentenced to death by the Indonesian Supreme Court for drug trafficking.”
“We believe that Mary Jane is innocent and that she was deceived into carrying those drugs. Our appeal is also based on reports that say she didn’t have proper legal representation through all stages of her trial,” said Jane Ordinario of Migrante-BC.
In the coming days, Ordinario said they will meet with the Philippine Consulate and organize other events as part of the global effort to save Mary Jane’s life.