New | ‘Smiling in the face of death’: Sister recounts Filipino convict’s moments in Indonesia jail before reprieve
On the day Marites Veloso visited her sister Mary Jane for what they thought would be the last time, as the prospect of execution by firing squad loomed, the jailed Filipino ex-maid was far from frightened.
On the day Marites Veloso visited her sister Mary Jane for what they thought would be the last time, as the prospect of execution by firing squad loomed, the jailed Filipino ex-maid was far from frightened.
Her family broke down in tears while visiting her at Indonesia’s “execution island” Nusakambangan on Tuesday - an emotional reunion after two years of separation. But Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, 30, appeared calm, her sister said.
“We were crying so hard,” Marites told the South China Morning Post by phone from Yogyakarta. “But she was smiling, telling us she didn’t want to see us weep. She was laughing like it was an ordinary day.”
Marites said they left the jail that day, taking home the image of Mary Jane “smiling and waving” at them, thinking she would be dead before dawn along with seven foreign men and one Indonesian man convicted of drug crimes.
To her family’s shock and joy, Mary Jane was spared, given an 11th-hour reprieve after a new development in her case.
“If that was her smile” when we thought she would be executed, Marites said, “I can only imagine what smile she has today.”
