Veloso is one of the nine convicted prisoners in Indonesia who were sentenced to die by firing squad for illegal drug-related crimes.
The eight convicts were executed Wednesday by firing squad in a remote island in Central Java amid pleas for clemency from their countries including Australia, Brazil, Nigeria, Ghana and Indonesia..
Earlier, Pacquiao made an appeal to President Joko Widodo of Indonesia to spare Veloso from execution.
In his appeal, Pacquiao said: “His Excellency, President Joko Widodo, I am Manny Pacquiao. On behalf of my countryman, Mary Jane Veloso, and the entire Filipino people, I am begging and knocking on your kind heart that Your Excellency will grant executive clemency to her by sparing her life and saving her life from execution.”
Pacquiao said he wants to travel to Indonesia after his fight against Floyd Mayweather on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Aside from talking with Veloso, Pacquiao said he also plans to meet with the Indonesian president but he wants his visit to be sanctioned by the Philippine government for him to make an official appeal.
The Indonesian president is reportedly a big fan of Pacquiao and it is possible he got Pacquiao’s earlier clemency appeal for Veloso.
“Wow, a friend of mine who is Indonesia’s top boxing journalist has just told me that President Widodo is a big Pacquiao fan. Now, let’s do the math!” said veteran boxing judge Salven Lagumbay on his Facebook page.
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.
“The execution of Mary Jane (Veloso) has been postponed because there was a request from the Philippine president related to a perpetrator suspected of human trafficking who surrendered herself in the Philippines,” said Tony Spontana, spokesman for the attorney general.
Meanwhile, the suspect is now in custody of the local authorities who are preparing the appropriate charges for filing in court.
