Last June 29 marked the second month since the Indonesian government granted Mary Jane Veloso a temporary reprieve and it has been the longest two months for her family and supporters from all around the globe.
The basis for the temporary reprieve was to give way to legal proceedings in the Philippines after her alleged traffickers, Kristina Sergio etal, were charged with illegal recruitment, human trafficking and estafa by the Department of Justice. The cases against Sergio etal were filed last April 21 on the basis of complaints filed by Mary Jane, her parents, Celia and Cesar, and sister Maritess, and other witnesses and victims who recently surfaced.
The preliminary investigations on the cases ended last June 1. Unfortunately, no DOJ resolution appears to be forthcoming.
Supporters and members of the #SaveMaryJane alliance called on the DOJ and the Philippine government to ensure that the legal proceedings are being done without delay, especially in light of recent news that the appeal for clemency for French death convict Serge Atlaoui has been rejected by the Indonesian government.
The Frenchman, like Mary Jane, was given a temporary reprieve by the Indonesian government and saved from the April 29 executions that killed eight others via firing squad.
“We appeal to the DOJ, no more delays, please. Release the resolution now. Mary Jane remains on the brink of death for as long as the death sentence is not lifted. Two months has been way too long. The evidence against Sergio etal are solid,” said Sol Pillas, Migrante International secretary-general.
Pillas said that they are also gravely concerned by news reports that Atlaoui is set to be executed after the end of Ramadan, along with other death convicts whose names are yet to be announced.
“The latest information that we got from our Indonesian colleagues is that the Attorney General has reiterated that Mary Jane’s reprieve is but temporary and they are still waiting for developments on the legal case here in the Philippines. They are still waiting for Mary Jane to testify as a witness against her traffickers. Please, let us not abuse the Indonesian government’s patience and tolerance. Every minute still counts,” Pillas said.
Pillas emphasized, “The ball is now in the PH government’s court. Sana naman ay hindi sila nagdi-dribble-dribble muna at saka na lang ulit gagalaw kapag last-two-minutes na.”
Migrante and the #SaveMaryJane alliance called on more supporters to sign the online petition at change.org/savemaryjane. The petition has already gathered 429,367 supporters as of this posting. ###
