Ipinahayag ng Commission on Human Rights (CHR) nitong Sabado, Enero 13, na umaasa itong gagawaran ng pardon ng pamahalaan ng Indonesia si Mary Jane Veloso, ang Pilipinong hinatulan ng kamatayan noong 2010 dahil umano sa pagpupuslit ng ilegal na droga sa nasabing bansa.
Sinabi ito ng CHR matapos ihayag kamakailan ni Indonesian President Joko Widodo na muli nilang sisiyasatin ang desisyon hinggil sa drug case na isinampa laban kay Veloso.
“We are hopeful that this will finally result in her release and return to her family,” saad ng CHR.
Matatandaang hinatulan si Veloso ng parusang kamatayan noong Oktubre 2010 matapos madiskubre sa Yogyakarta airport sa Indonesia na may 2.6 kilo ng heroin sa kaniyang maleta.
Mary Jane Veloso case, 'di pababayaan ng gobyerno -- DFA
Noon namang Abril 2015, isang last-minute reprieve ang ibinigay ni Widodo kay Veloso matapos makatanggap ng komunikasyon mula sa gobyerno ng Pilipinas na ang testimonya ng Pinay ay mahalaga sa paghabol ng mga kaso ng human trafficking laban sa kaniyang mga illegal recruiter.
“Thirteen years later, her case still awaits prompt attention to possibly merit her clemency. If successful, such will open another hope for migrant workers who face the same condition,” anang CHR.
“Attached to our Constitutional mandate to promote and protect the dignity of every Filipino also includes our migrant workers, as borders do not set any limits for the Commission in reaching out to the vulnerable and marginalized. As such, the Commission remains rooted on the provisions of the Migrant Workers Act to ensure that their rights are consistently put on the frontlines of our discussions,” dagdag pa nito.
Samantala, pinuri ng Komisyon ang mga pagsisikap ng Ehekutibo na tulungan ang pamilya ni Veloso at payagan silang makipag-ugnayan sa gobyerno ng Indonesia upang matiyak daw na walang Filipino migrant worker ang mabibiktima ng isa pang hatol ng kamatayan.
Kinilala rin nito ang pagiging maagap ng gobyerno ng Indonesia, kasama ang iba pang mga kinauukulan, sa pagbibigay ng mga paraan para magsagawa ng diyalogo upang maresolba ang sitwasyon ni Veloso.
“Just as the welfare of overseas Filipinos constitute a large proportion of the country’s interest as a State, it is incumbent upon the Commission and all government agencies to similarly persist through efforts that safeguard our migrant workers and ensure that no violations to their human rights are being committed against them,” saad ng CHR.
“As a State signatory to various bilateral and multilateral agreements that aim to provide concrete measures which ensure their welfare outside of their home countries, the obligation to craft counterpart mechanisms within the domestic sphere now falls into the hands of the Philippines,” dagdag pa nito.
Samantala, matatandaan namang inihayag ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) kamakailan na hindi pababayaan ng pamahalaan ang kaso ni Veloso.
