Mary Jane’s family in state of shock over execution report

President Duterte has adopted a hands-off policy on the case of Filipino drug convict Mary Jane Veloso currently on death row in Indonesia.

The President maintained that he would “not interfere” with Indonesia in handling the case of Veloso.

“The President just informed us that his actual statement and conversation with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo went like this. He said regarding Mary Jane Veloso, ‘follow your own laws. I will not interfere,’” Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

“There was no categorical statement, there was no endorsement. He simply said follow your own laws,” Abella added.

Abella made the clarification after the President was quoted in foreign media that he has supposedly given the green light for the execution of Veloso. The case of Veloso was among the topics tackled by Duterte and Widodo during a closed-door meeting in Jakarta.

Asked if the President asked for clemency for Veloso in his meeting with Widodo, Abella said he was not privy to the conversation. “They will proceed with their own laws,” he added.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who was with Duterte when he met Widodo, also denied the statement attributed to the President, but clarified that he appealed for clemency.

According to Piñol, President Duterte told Widodo: “We respect your laws but we appeal for your clemency.”

National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon said President Duterte also asked Widodo that Veloso be accorded “judicial rights.”

Yasay also denied Duterte gave Widodo the “green light” for the execution of Veloso.

He also said that Veloso’s execution had been indefinitely deferred.

In a report in the Jakarta Post, citing Antara news agency, it said: “President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said on Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had given the green light for the execution of Filipina death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso.”

The media report sent the family of Veloso is in state of shock.

“Migrante and the Veloso family are in shock over the news coming from Jakarta. We demand an immediate explanation from President Duterte and (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Perfecto) Yasay, both duty-bound to defend the rights of Filipinos overseas, especially drug trafficking victims like Mary Jane,” Migrante International Chairperson Garry Martinez said in a statement.

Veloso is currently on death row in Indonesia for her drug trafficking charge in 2010.

She was supposed to be executed together with other foreigners with drug trafficking charges in Indonesia last year, but was later spared by Widodo after an appeal from former President Benigno Aquino III.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Genalyn D. Kabiling and Samuel P. Medenilla

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