House Leader Wary of Proposed Investigation into Mary Jane Veloso’s Plight
House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II is lukewarm about a proposal for the House of Representatives to investigate the plight of Filipina convict Mary Jane Veloso since obtaining her testimony from Indonesia will likely be a challenge.
In an interview with radio dzBB Sunday, Gonzales said he will have to study the resolution filed by Bayan Muna party-list Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate before referring it to a House committee for action.
“We have to determine ano ang essence ng imbestigasyon. Ang sa akin lang: how can you proceed with the investigation na yong supposedly na kailangan mong testimony ay nandoon sa Indonesia? Paano mo pupuntahan ‘yon? ‘Yan ang nakikita kong difficulty,” he said.
Colmenares and Zarate filed House Resolution 2042 last week calling on the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs to investigate Veloso’s plight, as well as similar cases of Filipinos being unwittingly used by international syndicates to transport illegal drugs.
Veloso was convicted by an Indonesian court over 2.6 kilograms of heroin found in her suitcase at Yogyakarta airport in 2010, which she claims was put in her luggage without her knowledge.
Her execution was called off last week after she was granted a last-minute reprieve by the Indonesian government.
Personal testimony vital
While the House still has the time to investigate the alleged rampant recruitment of drug mules in the Philippines, Gonzales said it will be difficult if the House’s probe will center on Veloso because she remains detained in Indonesia.
“Mahirap mag-center lang [‘yung investigation] kay Mary Jane Veloso because how will you report an accurate report if you won’t get her testimony because she’s in Indonesia? I really don’t know if we’ll be allowed to get it there,” he said.
The House leader, a lawyer, said it will be difficult if lawmakers will only rely on second-hand accounts of Veloso’s case because the statements that will be attributed to her will only be hearsay.
“Kailangan mayroong direct testimony that will relate to the personal knowledge regarding circumstances during her arrest [in Indonesia] in 2010,” he said.
‘Politics involved’
Asked for reaction to Veloso’s mother’s criticism of the government’s allegedly inaction on her case, Gonzales said it was unfair not to give President Benigno Aquino III any credit for talking to the Indonesian government about the case.
He believes the stay of Veloso’s execution might not have been possible if the Philippine government had not reached out to Indonesia through official channels.
“Ang sa akin lang, siguro naman lahat ng bagay dapat haluan natin ng politika. Hindi puwedeng mangyari yan na hindi gumagalaw ang gobyerno. Hindi naman puwede na nag-rally lang dito ay pagbibigyan na ang pag defer ng execution. There has to be some official exchanges. At ang official exchanges na yan ay hindi magagawa sa pamamagitan ng rally rally. The government must have done something,” he said.
Veloso’s mother Celia criticized Aquino last Friday for the government’s supposed inaction on her daughter’s plight.
But in a media interview in Cebu City, Aquino maintained his administration did all that it could for Veloso.
“We did what we could. We were not involved in the creation of the problem. You must remember she was arrested, if I am not mistaken, April of 2010,” the president told reporters on Labor Day. Aquino assumed office on June 30 of that year.