Manila Bulletin reports that Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte had sked for clemency for the case of Mary Jane Veloso, “contrary to reports that he gave the green light for the implementation of the death sentence.”
The clarification was made by Agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who was with the President during his working visit last week in Indonesia.
He reportedly “told the Manila Bulletin that President Duterte indeed took up the Veloso issue while in talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo last week.”
“I respect your laws but we appealing for your clemency,” Duterte reportedly asked Widodo, according to the report.
The Bulletin also adds, however, “that another official who was also with the presidential party in Jakarta said President Duterte requested that Veloso be accorded all her judicial rights.”
Read: Did Duterte really give go-signal for Mary Jane Veloso’s execution
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr also denied the Antara news agency report that Duterte green-lit the execution.
“Yasay clarified further that never did Duterte give the green light to the execution of Veloso other than to tell the Indonesian President that he respects their judicial processes and will accept whatever the final decision they will arrive at regarding her case,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, according to Philstar.com.
