Why Veloso is Unfixable
Attention: Much cursing and swearing here!
We have heard and read in too many international medias on how Duterte, the newly elected president of the Philippines had given the so called misunderstood green lights to Indonesian incumbent president, Jokowi.
Later on, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines clarified the statement, saying that basically Duterte conveyed “to follow the law in your country” to Jokowi, which did not mean that Duterte supported the execution of Veloso.
We all know, language and interpretation are intriguing. Yet, whatever methods we are using to interpret the aforementioned conversation, we all know one thing: Veloso is still on the waiting list and going to die very soon.
We also all know that Veloso is falsely duped to be unknowing drug mule. Her genuine status as victim of trafficking was ever since blurred by the crime she was forced to commit. We know that the perpetrator who trafficked Veloso has pleaded guilty of harboring her to other countries, and yet, neither Government of Indonesia or Government of the Philippines reacted to salvage their legal correctness from whatever came along the way.
I am not in the capacity to rant on behalf of Filipino or Indonesians. I am speaking on behalf of myself, on behalf of the ache and pain and suffering to see people were denied justice. Also, I would like to humbly apologize to my fellow Filipino friends, as well as my Indonesian friends for saying this, but I cannot hold it anymore.
I am truly, madly, deeply disappointed and if I could, I would burn both governments down to the ground, or else, I would ask Kim Jong Un to launch his nuclear missile to both countries so that we all could die together. With Veloso.
I recalled memories of which Government of Indonesia did nothing for domestic worker who was convicted of death penalty in Saudi Arabia. Only when bunch of migrants activists ignited fund raising to pay the fine in order to turn the death penalty void, Government of Indonesia began speaking up. Too fucking late. Sadly, in Veloso cases, both government did nothing. Not even trying tiny bit of negotiation whatsoever.
I recalled memories of which I have to write legal opinion on overwhelming Veloso’s trial. I remember by heart, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prescribed that countries who still apply death penalty should uphold a competent and fair trial. Now if you ask me how Veloso’s trial sounds like, I would confidently say it was only an inch away from traversary.
Veloso spoke Tagalog but she was provided with English interpreter who was actually a high school student learning English in LIA. She was not assisted by lawyer during investigation process. When she finally had a lawyer, this douchebag forced her to pay money for the obnoxious service he gave. What the actual fuck? So this was what happened: Veloso basically said yes to literally everything, not having any idea what the judges, prosecutors, or her dumb lawyer were arguing about though I bet there was no argument at all.
Since the very beginning, both Government of Indonesia and the Philippines never take this issue seriously. Veloso was there, alone, wading in kyriarchy — a set of components which built the system around oppression and domination. The interlocking set of cultural, social, political, and economy caused people down in the food chain getting oppressed and crushed day by day. As illustration, imagine kyriarchy as a complex pyramidal system of intersecting those aforementioned components which entails and perpetuates super-ordination — those who are with superb privileges and subordination for those akin to Veloso — a figure of poor single mom with 2 kids, no talents or no skills, no prominent academic credentials, no economic capital, no social status. She only had a caring cousin who apparently trapped her in the cycle of human and drugs trafficking.
Kyriarchy accommodates the intersectionality of every existing components in someone’s life which makes it different from patriarchy. The latter roots from the subordination with males positioned in the first class whilst female should be satisfied only in the cabin, though it may divulge to a complex discourse of privilege, power assertion, and domination.
Let me humbly break them down for you.
Veloso is a woman, meaning — with all social constructions on gender — she was the second class citizen. She did neither receive either proper education, skills, nor opportunities. No need to try, she will instantly be kicked out from the job competition.
Veloso is poor, therefore, she, as the sole breadwinner in the family, strived to work as domestic workers overseas only to be alluded a promising job in Indonesia, which makes her the true semantic of trafficking. When she got arrested with 2,6 kilos heroine in her bag, she couldn’t call and hire expensive Indonesian lawyers like what Myuran and Andrew Chan did when they decided to have my boss as their defender. But you know, a bad lawyer is still better than no lawyer right? So, let’s just give her ignorant, senseless defender.
Veloso is a Filipino who spoke Tagalog but not English. Well, Filipinos speak both English and Tagalog, so uhm, I -speaking as Indonesian law enforcers-figure both are just the same? Considering cost and time efficiencies, let’s give Veloso a teenager who could barely speak English in fine manner. It won’t matter, no one will complaint on behalf of her anyway.
To government of the Philippines, it is no difference. Veloso brought heroine, period. No discussion upon her willingness and knowledge pertaining to the criminal acts she allegedly committed because that was irrelevant. A drug dealer is a drug dealer, and they threaten the whole generation. Thus, she deserves to die since it is better to save lives of hundreds at the expense of one soul whose innocence is arguable. Veloso should also be grateful for Government of the Philippines did not extrajudicial-kill her. Oh and don't forget, we should respect state sovereignty! Let’s see a woman being shot dead while we valiantly uphold state-to-state dignity.
Fighting patriarchy is rigorous, but fighting kyriarchy is almost implausible. Nevertheless, it is such a shame to see kyriarchy entrenched in every aspect of life, even in the most imperious one: criminal justice system.
To me, if there is something should be buried, it is kyriarchy — the stereotype, and debauchery of power which leads to mistrial and injustice. Not Veloso.
