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MANILA, Philippines – Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, a Filipino on Indonesia’s death row, appealed for clemency from President Joko Widodo in a hand-written letter dated April 16, 2015.
The 30-year-old mother of two, who was sentenced to death in 2010 for attempting to smuggle 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia, said she has accepted her fate. (READ: Mary Jane’s last wish: Bring my body home)
Written in Bahasa, Veloso pleaded for her life for the sake of her two children. (READ: Mary Jane’s kids to Indonesian president’s son: Help save mom)
According to the global network of overseas Filipino workers Migrante International, Veloso shared the letter with supporters who visited her at Wirogunan Correctional Facility in Jogjakarta, Indonesia.
Below is Veloso’s letter translated into English by University of the Philippines Diliman professor Bomen Guillermo.
To Honorable President Joko Widodo:
I sincerely appeal to you, Honorable Sir, to grant me a pardon from the death penalty. I believe and am certain that you have a compassionate heart and are very wise to make a humane decision.
As a mother, I have two children who are still small and need the love of a mother very much whom they love in return.
Honorable Sir, I believe that as the father of your child, you can feel what it would be like if your child were in the position of my own children, it is surely very painful because it would take away the right of my children to be with their mother, if my plea for pardon is not granted.
Honorable Sir, I believe that as the Father of the Indonesian Nation you should protect your children, above all those who are genuinely innocent.
I sincerely pray to to be saved from the death penalty and to be given the opportunity to bring up my children.
May God always bless Honorable President Joko Widodo and his whole family.
Wirogunan Correctional Facility
Jogjakarta
16 April 2015
Signed:
Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso
On Thursday night, April 23, Mary Jane was transferred to Nusa Kambangan execution island in Cilacap, Central Java. (READ: Mary Jane transferred to execution island)
The Philippines on Friday, April 24, filed a second appeal, asking Indonesia to review Veloso’s case. – Rappler.com
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