Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 27) — While Mary Jane Veloso was granted reprieve from the death penalty after being duped into smuggling heroin into Indonesia, her family worries about her health problems as doctors have detected that her ovarian cyst has recurred.
Last week, Mary Jane’s parents and two children visited her in her detention cell in Yogyakarta. Their last visit to Mary Jane was in 2015.
During a press conference on Monday, Mary Jane’s mother Celia said her daughter underwent surgery to remove an ovarian cyst six months ago. While the operation was successful, doctors detected that her ovarian cyst recurred.
Celia also said Mary Jane asked if their family has a history of cancer. She said her daughter might have thought about it because the ovarian cyst recurred.
“Awa ng Diyos, naoperahan si Mary Jane. Naalis ‘yun, kaya lang ngayon, bumalik. Nakita nila ulit na may bukol daw yata ulit at ipatitingnan daw nila sa espesyalistang doktor,” the teary-eyed Cecilia said.
[Translation: By God’s mercy, Mary Jane underwent surgery. The cyst was removed but it recurred. A medical specialist will observe it.]
Mary Jane has been in jail in Indonesia since 2010.
“Labing tatlong taon siya nakakulong, buhay pa dahil na-postpone ang pagkabitin sa kanya pero ang inaalala ko ngayon ‘yung sakit niya,” Celia said.
“Nakaligtas sa bitay, baka sa sakit naman mamatay. ‘Yun ang iniiisip ko,” she added.
[Translation: She has been in prison for 13 years, yet she is still alive because her execution has been postponed. But now I worry about her illness. Her execution was postponed, but she might die from illness. That’s what concerns me.]
Mary Jane’s father Cesar said his daughter also often feels nauseous and light-headed.
“Sabi niya, ‘may sakit ako tatay. Kapag umuubo ako, parang may lumalabas,” he said.
[Translation: She said, ‘I’m sick, dad. When I cough, it seems something comes out.]
Celia said their recent visit to Mary Jane and their meetups with supporters during their two-week stay in Indonesia have renewed her hope that clemency will be granted to her daughter.
READ: Marcos on Mary Jane Veloso’s pardon plea: We haven’t really stopped
The Philippine government has long requested executive clemency for Mary Jane after she was sentenced to death by firing squad in October 2010. She was arrested for allegedly smuggling heroin into Indonesia.
The execution was set in April 2015, but Mary Jane was granted a last-minute reprieve through a stay of execution to stand as a witness in the human trafficking case against her recruiter Kristina Sergio and her partner Julius Lacanilao.
