Chiz, other solons seek accounting of Filipinos languishing in jails abroad, including 49 on death row
Senate President Francis Escudero has called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to provide all the necessary legal assistance to Filipinos jailed overseas to secure their freedom, following the successful return of Mary Jane Veloso on Wednesday from Indonesia, where she was sentenced to death for drug trafficking.
Escudero, in a statement, said the case of Veloso, who spent more than 14 years in an Indonesian prison, should serve as “a wake-up call for all of us to focus on the plight of similarly situated Filipinos.” He put to task the DFA to make an accounting of those Filipinos languishing in jail or facing legal woes.
“I hope that Mary Jane’s repatriation is only the first of many Filipinos similarly situated in various parts of the world,” the Senate leader said.
Veloso had been sentenced to death, but she was spared from execution in 2015 after the late former President Benigno Aquino III made a personal appeal with his Indonesian counterpart.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also urged the relevant authorities to thoroughly review Veloso’s case and consider granting her pardon.
“Mary Jane deserves a second chance to rebuild her life, reunite with her family, and heal from the injustices she has endured,” he said.
Strengthen OFW protection
Estrada added that Veloso’s case highlights the vulnerabilities faced by many Filipinos abroad, particularly those who fall victim to deception and human trafficking.
“Her plight serves as a constant reminder of the need to strengthen measures to protect our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from falling prey to exploitation and illegal activities and to extend support to those wrongfully implicated or unjustly punished. We must uplift and support our fellow Filipinos, especially in adversity,” he stressed.
In all instances, Escudero said the state should make the Filipinos in distress overseas feel “the long arm of government to protect and shield them whenever they need help.”
He said the DFA, through its foreign missions, should work alongside the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) whenever they are alerted about cases of Filipinos facing legal troubles overseas.
“They should find out the nature of the cases against them. What has been or can be done to help them regain their liberty . . . and assist them to make their detention more bearable,” he said.
He added that part of the government assistance should also include checking on the families of the affected Filipinos to see “if they are alright and how we can help them visit and see their loved ones deprived of liberty abroad.”
If necessary, the Senate chief said, the government should explore and push for treaties with more countries, including the treaty on “prisoner swap” that would allow Filipinos convicted in foreign courts to serve their sentences in the Philippines so that they can be closer to their loved ones.
49 Pinoys on death row
Sen. Joel Villanueva said the successful negotiations for Veloso’s return showed not only strong diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Indonesia, but also demonstrated the government’s unwavering commitment to prioritizing the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
He also called on the DFA and DMW to continue monitoring the cases of Filipinos, particularly the 49 OFWs currently on death row, and ensure that they receive the necessary assistance from the government.
“This could also pave the way for our concerned government agencies to explore legal and diplomatic options, including possible commutation of sentence and allowing them to serve their sentence in the Philippines,” he said.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate committee on migrant workers, also lauded the government’s efforts to bring home Veloso.
He also expressed gratitude to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for agreeing to repatriate the OFW.
