After 5 years, Mary Jane Veloso goes viral

MANILA, Philippines – A day before her scheduled execution by firing squad, #SaveMaryJaneVeloso trended on Twitter worldwide. 

What does it take to to talk about an issue as big as Veloso’s? Looming death, apparently. (READ: The honor of Mary Jane Veloso)

Thirty-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso is expected to be executed on Wednesday, April 29 in prison island Nusakambangan in Cilacap, Indonesia. 

She will be executed with 8 others: two from Australia, two from Nigeria, one from Brazil, one from Cordova, one from Ghana, and one from Indonesia. (READ: Live updates on the Indonesia execution)

Veloso was arrested, tried and sentenced to death in 2010 for attempting to smuggle 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia. (READ: FAST FACTS: The case of Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso)

She has been on Indonesia’s death row for the past five years. 

A few weeks ago, only a few netizens knew who Mary Jane Veloso was – and weren’t invested as they are now. 

On March 31, Rappler initiated a #MaryJane awareness campaign. We asked our followers if they knew who Mary Jane was. Surprisingly, only a few did.

Without checking Google, what do you know about #MaryJane Fiesta Veloso? Join @rapplerdotcom‘s ongoing conversation!

— MovePH (@MovePH) March 31, 2015

In fact, on the eve of her execution, April 27, she wasn’t as talked about as Maria Ozawa, a Japanese pornstar who visited the Philippines.

Thanks guys #KungMahalMo is trending number two nationwide! Ayaw patinag ni Maria Ozawa sa number 1. pic.twitter.com/RmaHQQGeAm

— DJ Chacha (@mor1019chacha) April 27, 2015

It was only 5 years after when a global online petition to spare her life started to gain massive support.

And 5 years later, Mary Jane finally trended number one on Twitter in the Philippines.

Five years later, she trended top two in Indonesia. 

And then she trended worlwide. 

The execution is scheduled to happen around 3:00 am (Manila time). 

There are estimated between 80 to 120 OFWs on death row. How long will it take for us to start a ‘save’ campaign for them?

(UPDATE: Mary Jane’s execution has been delayed.) – Rappler.com