mary jane veloso

BIDA KA!: Pagkakaisa susi sa himala

Lumipas ang mga oras pero marami pa rin sa ating mga kaba­bayan ang hindi inalis ang tainga sa radyo at ang mga mata sa telebisyon.

Nagbunga naman ang matiyagang paghihintay nang bandang alas-tres ng madaling-araw ng Miyerkules nang ianunsiyo ng pamahalaan ng Indonesia ang isang malaking himala.

Ipinagpaliban nila ang pagbitay kay Mary Jane ilang minuto na lang bago ang nakatakda niyang pagharap sa firing squad.

Maituturing na malaking himala ang nangyari dahil ang ­lahat ng indikasyon ay tuloy nga ang pagbitay kay Mary Jane. Katunayan, itinuloy na ng Indonesia ang pagbitay sa walong iba pang drug convicts na nauna kay Mary Jane.

Nagbunyi ang buong bansa, pati na rin ang buong mundo, sa nangyaring himala.

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Ngunit kung ako ang tatanungin, mas malaking himala ang nangyaring pagkakaisa ng iba’t ibang sektor ng lipunan para mailigtas si Mary Jane.

Mula sa administrasyon, oposisyon at makakaliwang grupo, iisa lang ang naging pagkilos at iisa lang ang isinulong.

Matagal-tagal na rin bago ito nangyari. Isang Mary Jane Veloso ang kinailangan upang muling pag-isahin ang mga sektor na nahati ng pulitika, galit at marami pang isyu.

Palagi kong sinasabi na kapag naupo sa iisang mesa ang iba’t ibang sektor, may positibong resulta o pangyayari. Sa ­sitwasyong ito, malaking himala ang kanilang nakamit.

Sa sama-samang pagsisikap ng maraming sektor, muling napatunayan na walang imposible at maaaring makamit lahat.

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Pagkatapos nito, mainit ang naging usapan kung sino ang dapat pasalamatan at mabigyan ng credit sa pangyayari.

Mga Bida, hindi mahalaga kung sino ang dapat pasala­matan. Ang mahalaga rito, pansamantalang nabigyan ng panibagong buhay si Mary Jane.

Sa halip na sabihing, “si ganito o si ganyan ang susi sa nangyari at dapat bigyan ng papuri”, mas mainam siguro na papurihan ang lahat dahil sa sama-sama namang kumilos.

Ito ay isang bihirang pagkakataon na lahat ay sama-­samang kumilos tungo sa iisang hangarin. Bakit hindi natin ito kayang gawin para sa mas nakararaming Pilipino?

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Upang muling mapagsama-sama sa iisang mesa ang kaukulang ahensiya ng pamahalaan at iba’t ibang sektor, naghain tayo ng resolusyon na layong imbestigahan ang kaso ng mga OFW na nahaharap sa death penalty sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo.

Nais ko ring malaman kung bakit naaantala ang pag­resolba sa iba pang mga kasong may kinalaman sa OFWs, lalo na pagdating sa illegal recruitment at trafficking.

Sa huling bilang ng Department of Foreign Affairs, 805 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) ang nakakulong sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng mundo. Apatnapu’t lima sa kanila ang nasa death row.

Sa nasabing tala, 341 sa kabuuang bilang ng kaso ay nasa Asya, 244 sa Middle East at Africa, 116 sa United States at 104 sa Europe.

Hangarin ng pagdinig na alamin kung hanggang saan ang tulong na ibinibigay ng pamahalaan sa ating OFWs, na nagpapasok ng $22 billion kada taon sa ekonomiya ng bansa.

Kung itinuturing natin bilang bayani ang ating OFWs, dapat natin silang bigyan ng sapat na suporta at proteksyon lalo na’t sila’y nasa ibang bansa.

Malaki ang kanilang kontribusyon sa kaunlaran ng bansa. Huwag natin silang pabayaan!

 

First Published on Abante Online

The miracle of unity

The last-minute reprieve of Filipina prisoner Mary Jane Veloso by the resolute Indonesian government last April 29 was a welcome shock to the Philippine community and was heralded by many, including myself, as a miracle.

The miracle I found was not only in the inexplicable and seemingly supernatural shifting of circumstance but in the fact that so many individuals, government agencies, and civil society organizations, who are usually in constant conflict with each other, actually worked together for a common purpose – and succeeded.

This miracle is the best sort. It was borne out of compassion, hard work, and unity despite differences and animosity toward each other.

The President, Vice President, Department of Justice (DOJ), government agencies, human rights advocates, religious groups, leftist groups, Filipinos here and all over the world came together, even Manny Pacquiao called for, and worked to save the life of one Filipina.

And though short-lived, we were willing and able to join our voices and our efforts to create a collective force so strong and so convincing that it stopped the inevitable from happening.

Mary Jane struck a cord in all of us. She became a symbol of the Filipino, who, in desperation to provide a better life for her family, falls victim to abuse for nefarious purposes.

She is just one out of too many Filipinos suffering injustices to build a better life for their family. Her case of alleged drug trafficking is just one out of too many cases in the country victimized by drug syndicates, capitalizing on the poverty of the Filipino family.

She has brought to our collective consciousness the grave injustices suffered by Filipinos around the world. We have been made starkly aware of the tremendous risk our countrymen are willing to take in the hopes of a brighter future for their children.

But her reprieve also revealed that we, in fact, have the power to change the course of history when we set aside our differences and work for a common objective.

There are at least 7,000 Overseas Filipinos (OFs) incarcerated abroad. In their 2014 Annual Report, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stated that there were 80 death penalty cases being monitored, 45 of which are drug-related.

How many of these prisoners were unjustly arrested and imprisoned? How many of them were actually involved in the drug trade and deserve to be incarcerated and how many were unwitting pawns and scapegoats?

Clearly, there are thousands of Mary Janes out there with cases coursing through the justice system of other countries.

Recently, we filed a resolution to thoroughly look into the cases of our incarcerated overseas Filipinos and, more importantly, evaluate the ways in which the Philippine government can offer more support. At the minimum, we need to make sure they get sound legal advice and a fair and just trial.

We have to get over our deep-seated biases and political rivalries and find it in ourselves to come together to ensure that the rights of the thousands of our imprisoned countrymen are not violated.

First published on Manila Bulletin

Bam: Collective Efforts Saved Mary Jane

Senator Bam Aquino lauds the collective efforts of President Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario that led to the granting of temporary reprieve to Mary Jane Veloso.

“This once again proves that if concerned government agencies work together,  positive things happen,” said Sen. Bam.

Aquino also expressed gratitude to the Indonesian government for granting Mary Jane a temporary reprieve, allowing her to testify against her recruiters.

“I call on the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs to continue supporting Mary Jane in her case so she will be spared from the death penalty,” Sen. Bam said.

Indonesia has given Mary Jane a temporary reprieve to allow her to testify against her recruiter Maria Kristina Sergio, who earlier surrendered to authorities in Nueva Ecija.

Sen. Bam also called on authorities to beef up the case filed against Mary Jane’s recruiters and others responsible for her plight so she can get justice for her years of incarceration and torment.

“Let us exert all means necessary to protect our Overseas Filipinos against syndicates who use them as drug couriers and other illegal activities,” Sen. Bam added.

Sen. Bam recently filed a resolution seeking to conduct an inquiry on the death penalty cases involving OFWs and the delay in the disposition of overseas-related cases, particularly illegal recruitment and trafficking.

“We need to ensure that assistance will be provided to the 805 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) – 45 of whom are on death row – incarcerated in different parts of the world,” asked Sen. Bam.

In his Senate Resolution No.  1266, Sen. Bam revealed that around 805 OFWs face drug-related cases worldwide as of September 2014.

“Most of these cases are in Asia at 341, 244 in the Middle East and Africa, 116 in the United States and 104 in Europe,” said Sen. Bam.

“Around 45 OFWs are in death row, but their sentences are not yet final as the cases are on various stages of appeal,” he added. 

Based on data from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), only 196 OFWs have received help from the department’s legal assistance fund from January 2011 to August 2012.

The DFA attributed this low number to the limitation under Sections 18 and 19 of Republic Act No. 10022, which amends the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.

“Kung itinuturing natin ang mga OFWs bilang mga bayani, kailangan natin silang bigyan ng sapat na suporta at proteksyon lalo na’t sila’y nasa ibang bansa,” emphasized Sen. Bam.

“Ang laki ng kanilang kontribusyon sa ating pag-unlad. Huwag natin silang pabayaan,” added Sen. Bam.

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