PNoy stressed value of life in last-ditch efforts to save Mary Jane –Palace exec

“Mahalaga ang buhay… Hindi tayo hihinto.”

Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras on Wednesday said President Benigno Aquino III constantly gave this reminder as Philippine government officials tried last-ditch efforts to save Filipina Mary Jane Veloso from execution in Indonesia.

At a press briefing, Almendras said that days before Veloso’s scheduled execution, Aquino was steadfast in exploring all options to keep her alive, despite repeated rejections from the Indonesian government.

"The President’s original and continuous order was: We will not stop, we will do everything we can until they execute her,” Almendras told reporters  

"Even if he got the news already that the last request was turned down and his personal discussion with President Widodo was also turned down, the instructions were, tuloy pa rin. Let’s try everything that can be done to save Mary Jane,” he added.

Almendras shared that Aquino stressed how precious life is to all Cabinet officials who were trying to reach out to their Indonesian counterparts to explain Veloso’s case.

"Uulitin ko lang ho ang sinasabi ng Pangulo: he reminded us every time when the going gets really tough, which was Sunday and Monday night: Mahalaga ang buhay,” the Cabinet Secretary said.

"Ang instructions niya: Hindi tayo hihinto… Kahit noong panahon na napakasarap na sumuko, sabi niya, we will pursue, we will continue hanggang gawin nila yung gagawin nila,” he added.

The 30-year-old Veloso was spared from execution by a firing squad early Wednesday, after Aquino made a last-minute appeal to turn the Filipina convicted on drug charges into a witness.

Aquino told the Indonesian foreign minister on Tuesday morning that Veloso’s testimony is necessary to identify and neutralize the drug syndicate that supposedly duped her into smuggling heroin to Indonesia, and also following the surrender of her alleged recruiter. —KBK, GMA News