Can VP Jejomar Binay stop the execution of Mary Jane Veloso?

The vice president, in his capacity as the presidential adviser on Migrant Workers' Affairs, has been sent to Jakarta, Indonesia with the last-ditch mission to, in addition to attending an ASEAN Conference, save Mary Jane Veloso from eventual execution. He has been sent earlier to various destinations for the same mission, including many Middle East countries and to China and elsewhere in Asia. He has not succeeded in any one of those missions. The Filipino convicts were executed just the same. And so, why is government doing the same thing and still expect a different result?

The only viable purpose of such a mission is for PR or for public relations, and nothing more. The official trip of the second-ranking Philippine executive official will show our twelve million OFWs in 200 countries all over the world, that the government does not abandon them even on the verge of execution. The trip will also show the family and relatives of Veloso that this administration is joining them in taking all steps to save Mary Jane from death by firing squad. And most of all, with the elections next year, such a humanitarian mission is good ''pakitang tao'' to the electorate of this administration's so-called pro-people, pro-OFWs policies.

The problem, however, is this: Is Binay really representing this administration? The Aquino government through the ruling party, and its allies are doing all they can to prosecute, expose and even ''malign'' Binay, including his son, daughters, and wife. And in the next breath, this much ''maligned'' official is the one being anointed to represent the Philippine government as emissary to Indonesia, to beg for the life of a convicted Filipino woman? Come on. What is this? If you are the Indonesian president, what would you think about this song and dance number or "moro moro?" The Indonesian government is more street smart than we imagine it to be.

And so, if you are President Joko Widodo, would you take this emissary seriously? This is being sent by a government that itself is the accuser, prosecutor, judge, and sheriff all arrayed against this very same emissary. This government should better put its house in order and be true to itself. We should also take into consideration the fact that Indonesia is not inclined to twist its justice system merely to accommodate a rather belated request conveyed by a much disparaged official from the Philippines. Would we give up prosecuting Americans who allegedly murder or rape our alleged sex workers? Do we play such game?

President PNoy has written President Widodo twice and once to the latter's predecessor. Not one letter was even replied to. They were totally ignored. Now, MIGRANTE, the IBP, the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers and VP Jojo Binay are all rushing to Jakarta but all for show. All of them ignored Veloso in the earlier stages of the case. Now that she has been convicted, they are all rushing in the last two minutes before the firing squad. Like the case of Flor Contemplacion, we should be mature enough to expect that all these are only for the show. Mary Jane has accepted her fate. We should come to our senses and learn from it all. All we can do now is pray. As Mary Jane's sister declared: Only a miracle can save this unfortunate OFW.