The Gabriela partylist on Sunday urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong“ Marcos Jr. to "seek executive clemency" for Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino worker who is facing death row for 12 years in Indonesia.
The appeal was made by Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas as Marcos visits Indonesia from Sept. 4 to 6.
"There is no compelling reason for Marcos Jr. to backtrack from his agenda of bringing up Veloso's case when he meets Indonesian President Widodo. Sinabi na ng DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) last week sa budget hearing na tatalakayin ito sa state visit, kaya tuparin sana ito," Brosas said in a statement.
She stressed that Veloso has been imprisoned for years due to a crime that she did not commit.
Broases said the case has already been passed by two presidents — former presidents Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino and Rodrigo Roa Duterte, which is why she said Marcos should exert utmost effort to release Veloso.
She also raised that there are 65 Filipinos who are also facing death row in Malaysia and nearly half of them are women.
"President Marcos Jr. should also consider conveying the request for clemency for Filipino women facing death row in Malaysia to Prime Minister Ismali Sabri Yaakob," she added.
Broases called for immediate solutions to these cases and asked for a strengthened interventions against human trafficking.
She said they are studying the possibility of filing a proposed bill to address the "loopholes in the government's anti-trafficking efforts" and prevent Filipinos like Veloso from being victimized by drug syndicates and traffickers.
In April 2010, a 2.6 kilograms of heroin was caught in the bag of Veloso at Yogyakarta airport, Indonesia and she was convicted of drug trafficking.
Veloso denied the charges and asserted that her recruiters planted drugs in her bag.
In October 2010, she was sentenced to death by firing squad but was spared following the arrest of her recruiters.
