Department of Foreign Affairs Urged to Seek

Department of Foreign Affairs Urged to Seek | Daily Tribune

A House panel chair on Tuesday pressed the Department of Foreign Affairs to step up and double its efforts to seek clemency for convicted overseas Filipino workers as Ramadan draws to a close.

The DFA should make the best of Ramadan, a period of spiritual renewal, reflection, and forgiveness for Muslims, which according to Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, chairperson of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, is well-timed to seek pardon, especially to those facing death row.

“As Ramadan nears its end, we urge the DFA and Philippine Embassies in Muslim countries to make the necessary representation and actively intercede on behalf of our kababayans who are facing sentences abroad,” Salo appealed.

The veteran solon cited the traditional acts of royal clemency by Muslim leaders during Ramadan, which include the commutation of sentences and complete pardons.

This year, Ramadan started on 12 March.

In March last year, the DFA revealed that 83 Filipinos overseas are on death row, and most of the cases are already final and executory.

Fifty-six cases are in Malaysia alone, while six are in the United Arab Emirates, five in Saudi Arabia, and 15 others in Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, the United States, Japan, and Brunei.

Mary Jane Veloso, who was supposed to be executed in April 2015 but was spared at the last minute to testify against recruiters who had allegedly tricked her into heroin trafficking, is the most high-profile of Filipinos now awaiting execution in Indonesia.

Veloso has been on death row since 2010 for possessing 2.6 kilograms of heroin found sewn into the lining of her suitcase at the Adisutjipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Veloso was arrested in Yogyakarta in April 2010 for possession of 2.6 kilograms of heroin found sewn into the lining of her luggage.

Salo called for a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including other government agencies such as the Department of Migrant Workers, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and Commission on Filipinos Overseas, non-government organizations, and the families of the convicted individuals, to support the DFA in their diplomatic endeavors.

“It is a collective effort that requires the support and prayers of our entire nation. We stand in solidarity with our overseas Filipinos and their families during this challenging time, hoping for their eventual return to our home,” Salo said.

At least 25 Filipinos charged with various offenses in Qatar were granted royal pardon in 2018, Salo shared last year.