On February 28, APWLD and Migration FPAR partners paid a visit to Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino migrant woman who was arrested and sentenced to death after unwittingly serving as a drug mule. Mary Jane, currently detained at Wonosari Penitentiary in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta.
During the visit to Mary Jane, she wrote two letters addressed to the governments of the Philippines and Indonesia.
Below is what Mary Jane wants to say to the two governments:
To: Pemerintah Indonesia, terutama untuk Presiden Joko Widodo
Saya Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso meminta pertolongan kepada bapak Presiden agar permohonan grasi saya diterima dan saya bisa kembali berkumpul dengan keluarga. Dan saya sangat menyesal terlalu percaya dengan teman saya sampai saya mendapatkan masalah seperti ini. Dan ini menjadi pelajaran untuk saya yang sangat berharga. Saya sudah menjalani 13 tahun kurungan tanpa kepastian. Saya mohon agar saya mendapatkan keadilan karena saya percaya dengan keadilanlah saya bisa membuktikan bahwa saya tidak bersalah. Bapak Presiden saya tidak meminta apa-apa, saya hanya ingin pulang dan berkumpul dengan keluarga saya karena anak-anak butuh saya.
(English)
To: The Government of Indonesia, especially President Joko Widodo
I am Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso. I would like to request the help of Mr. President so that my appeal for clemency will be granted and I can be reunited with my family. I really regret that I trusted my friend too much which led me to get into a problem like this; and this has become a very valuable lesson for me. I have served 13 years of imprisonment without certainty. I beg for justice because I believe that with justice, I can prove my innocence. Mr President, I don’t ask for anything, I just wanted to go home and be with my family because my children need me.
To: Pemerintah Filipina terutama Presiden Filipina
Saya Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso memohon bantuan agar saya mendapatkan kepastian dalam kasus saya ini. Sudah 8 tahun semenjak Christina Serjo menyerahkan diri namun sampai sekarang kasus di sana belum selesai, bahkan saya sudah siap memberikan testimoni agar terbukti bahwa Christina bersalah dan membawaku di Filipina dan bertemu keluarga saya. Namun sampai saat ini kasus di sana belum berjalan. Saya mohon agar saya bisa segera bersaksi. Dan saya mohon kepada Presiden Marcos agar permohonan grasi saya ditindaklanjuti kepada Pemerintah Indonesia.
(English)
To: The Government of the Philippines, especially the President of the Philippines
I am Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso. I am requesting help so I can get certainty in this case of mine. It has been eight years since Christina Serjo turned herself in but until now her case has not come into sentence. I am very much ready to testify to prove that Christina is guilty, and to be taken to the Philippines and meet my family. But until now the case there has not yet moved. I beg that I will be allowed to testify immediately. And I would like to request President Marcos to follow up my appeal for clemency to the Government of Indonesia.
