Now, Pacquiao has traveled to Indonesia to fulfill his promise to Veloso to meet with her in a remote Indonesian prison.
Veloso, along with nine prisoners from Indonesia and other countries, were scheduled to die by firing squad for drug-related cases last April. Veloso’s case stemmed from the discovery by Indonesian authorities of 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin found in her suitcase.
The discovery led to her arrest and after months of court trial, Veloso was found guilty and sentenced to die by firing squad. But in the course of the trial, Veloso maintained her innocence, claiming that she was unaware of the illegal drugs found in her suitcase at the airport by Indonesian authorities.
The execution by firing squad was carried out except for Veloso, who was given a last minute reprieve following the arrest of her alleged recruiter, who is suspected to be part of a syndicate using drug mules to transport drugs to different countries including Indonesia.
The Indonesian authorities have acknowledged the reprieve given to Veloso following the surrender of a suspect in what appears to be a human trafficking case.
Meanwhile, the suspect is now in custody of the local authorities who have reportedly filed appropriate charges in court against them. Read more.
“I will visit her on Friday,” he told reporters in the central Java city of Semarang, not far from the prison where Veloso is being held, adding he would see how he could help her, AFP writes.
Pacquiao, who is traveling with wife Jinkee, is reported to be popular in that country and President Widodo is likewise reported to be a fan of Pacquiao.
“I’m going to meet the president on Friday, so we will see what we can do,” Pacquiao added.
Pacquiao’s travel to Indonesia could have something to do with his job as a member of the House of Representatives where he heads the committee on migrant workers.
