MANILA, April 12, 2015–The family of Mary Jane Veloso who is facing execution in Indonesia for drug smuggling is held hostage by fear.
Veloso’s mother, Celia, said they have received death threats after they started giving media interviews about a person who allegedly framed her daughter.
“They said that are from an international [drug] syndicate. They told us before not to entertain the media because they will kill us all,” Celia said.
“We believe it now because after our media interviews, they have come and gone several times already. They would ask our neighbors [about us], but would leave immediately when told where we live,” she said.
Celia alleged that Maria Kristina Sergio, live-in partner of Mary Jane’s god-brother, had earlier warned them “not to speak to anyone” about her daughter’s case.
Sergio allegedly recruited Mary Jane to Malaysia before “deceiving” her to carry a luggage filled with heroin to Indonesia.
Celia together with her husband, Cesar, and Mary Jane’s two children, met with some officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in Manila on Friday to ask for help.
Gary Martinez, Migrante International chairperson, reiterated his call for the police authorities to arrest Sergio, adding that it may help the government in appealing for Mary Jane’s clemency.
Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP Public Affairs Committee, said he will immediately forward to the of the bishops the concerns raised by Mary Jane’s family.
“Let’s see what possible intervention the Catholic Church can do about the security of the family,” he said.
“As of now, the purpose is to discuss this and to listen to the parents so we could determine what move are we going to take,” Secillano said. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)