Bob Arum’d turn on the dais during the Mayweather-Pacquiao final press conference. Photo by Rem Zamora/INQUIRER/ See more at FRAME
LAS VEGAS — Top Rank honcho Bob Arum said Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao helped save Mary Jane Veloso from being executed by firing squad for drug trafficking in Indonesia Wednesday.
Arum extolled Pacquiao in a press conference for his May 2 megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at KA Theatre inside MGM Grand here.
READ: Pacquiao, Mayweather ready to make history
Pacquiao on Monday read his statement on national television pleading with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare Veloso’s life, which would be a “morale booster” for the WBO welterweight champion’s showdown on Saturday.
Pacquiao released a statement a day after Veloso’s mother Cecilia urged him to help out.
“His Excellency, President Joko Widodo, I am Manny Pacquiao. On behalf of my countryman, Mary Jane Veloso and all of the the Filipino people, I am begging and knocking on your kind heart that your excellency will grant executive clemency to her by sparing her life and saving her life from execution,” Pacquiao said in his statement.
On Wednesday before dawn, Veloso, the 30-year-old mother of two, was granted a temporary reprieve while eight other death row prisoners were executed.
READ: Veloso execution stopped