DMW's Ople: DFA to take lead on Veloso case

JAKARTA - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will take the lead in handling the case of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina who is on death row in Indonesia due to drug-related charges, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said on Sunday.

"It will be the Department of Foreign Affairs who will be taking the lead primarily for two reasons: one, it has the institutional merit and knowledge on the status of the case; and second, and I am pretty sure Secretary Trixie [Cruz-Angeles] will agree with me on the importance of speaking with one voice for a case that has such... very sensitive dimensions," Ople said in a press briefing.

"The DMW will defer to the DFA and I am sure Secretary [Enrique] Manalo... I am sure that he will be, at the appropriate time, open to saying more about this case," she added.

Ople recalled that the Veloso parents' letter to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., asking him to bring Mary Jane home, was brought to her office last Friday and that she had transmitted it to the DFA.

"The letter was brought by the family to the DMW Friday afternoon. But I was out of the office. I was attending the 40th anniversary of POEA at PICC. So, I was able to receive a copy of that letter, noong halos mag-gagabi na on that day," she said.

"But I was able to transmit that letter to DFA. The DFA and I met last Friday even before the family came to see us. Sec. Manalo and I met with our usecs at DFA. He hosted a lunch for [Labor Secretary Bienvenido] Laguesma and myself and several items were discussed about bilateral labor talks and other pressing labor issues. And this case was among those discussed," she added.

Ople was optimistic that DFA chief Manalo would talk with Marcos about Veloso's case.

"Ang usapan kasi namin ni Secretary Manalo, siya na ang bahalang mag-ano. I am pretty sure naman na mag-uusap sila ni Pangulo," she said.

Ople also asked for prayers for Veloso's family and she insisted that the DFA was utilizing the "diplomatic track" on the case.

"Alam mo, I think, what’s important is that we just keep praying, kasi may diplomatic track, pero mayroon ding divine track. Iyong divine track is that of prayers. So, let’s just continue to hope and pray with the family," said Ople.

"Hindi naman nagtatapos sa visit iyong anumang pag-uusapan tungkol kay Mary Jane. Kaya nga diplomatic track ang ginagamit ng ating Department of Foreign Affairs," she added.

Sensitive

For her part, Press Secretary Cruz-Angeles said they cannot officially say if Veloso's case would be tackled by Marcos before Indonesian officials during his state visit.

"It’s always an issue, perhaps it will be broached by both parties. By one or both countries. We’ll have to see. I understand it’s, well since a pending issue, it may be inescapable. We will announce if it is taken up," she said.

Cruz-Angeles stressed that the matter was sensitive and the government could not say more than that.

"We cannot even guess as to why, but because it is of such a sensitive nature then we proceed with deliberation if we proceed at all. I am not saying that we'll be proceeding with anything. But the President is aware of the issue. Beyond that, we cannot discuss," Cruz-Angeles said.

Veloso is currently in detention in Indonesia due to drug trafficking charges. She had denied the charges against her and insisted that her recruiters tricked her into bringing narcotics into Indonesia by giving her a suitcase that contained illegal drugs in its seams.

More than 2.6 kilograms of heroin was found in her luggage at Yogyakarta Airport in 2010. Veloso's recruiters, Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao, were charged with human trafficking, illegal recruitment, and estafa cases.

In April 2015, Veloso was supposed to be executed by firing squad but a last-minute appeal from then President Benigno Aquino III and the arrest of the Filipino's recruiters in the Philippines prompted Indonesia President Joko Widodo to spare her life at the 11th hour. — DVM, GMA News