Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso. Photo: AFP/Suryo Wibowo
A delegation from the Philippines’ Department of Justice is in Indonesia to to meet with the Attorney General to discuss the fate of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, who is still sitting on Indonesian death row after her execution in April was delayed at the last moment.
Veloso, a mother of two, was arrested in 2010 by Indonesian authorities for possession of 2.6 kilos of heroin found inside her luggage upon her arrival from Malaysia; she claims she was unaware of the presence of the illegal drugs in her luggage and maintains that she was duped by recruiters Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao, who had promised her work as a domestic helper in Malaysia.
Sergio ‘voluntarily surrendered’ herself to the Filipino police shortly before Veloso’s execution, scheduled to take place on April 28, leading to the execution being delayed pending the outcome of Sergio’s trial.
Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said any requests to overturn Veloso’s sentence at this point would be difficult, as it had already been proven that she smuggled drugs into Indonesia.
The Attorney General said the only way the court would reconsider its decision or possibly grant Veloso clemency is if lawyers could introduce brand new exculpatory evidence in her case.
“For example, say the Philippine court later decides that she is a victim of trafficking, it would still be difficult to overturn her sentence here. But the decision might be used as new evidence to seek a new pardon or appeal,” he said as quoted by MetroTV.
Veloso is still scheduled to testify as a witness in the case against Sergio. The Philippines Department of Justice said in a statement that it has created a taskforce that would exhaust all possible legal remedies for Veloso.
Mary Jane’s execution delay decision came just hours before Brimob troops shot dead eight drug trafficking convicts. Mary Jane was scheduled to be executed in conjunction with them.
