A press release published on the official website of the cabinet secretary of the Indonesian government says Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has given Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo the green signal to execute Filipina death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso, a mother of two, who was convicted for bringing in 2.6 kilograms of heroin at the Yogyakarta Airport in 2010.
“Presiden Duterte saat itu menyampaikan silakan kalau mau dieksekusi,” said president Jokowi in Bahasa. (“President Duterte then conveyed, please go ahead if you want to execute (her).”
Another Jakarta Post report, quoted by several local media agencies here in the Philippines, claims that Antara news agency has quoted Jokowi as saying that “President Duterte has given the go-ahead to proceed with the execution.”
“According to Jokowi, the legal process will be followed up by Attorney General M. Prasetyo,” said the Post.
It quotes Jokowi as having said, “I have explained to [Duterte] about Mary Jane’s situation and I told him that Mary Jane [has been found guilty] for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin. I also told him about the delay in the execution during the meeting.”
Meanwhile, Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez has released a statement.
“Migrante and the Veloso family are in shock over the news coming from Jakarta. We demand an immediate explanation from President Duterte and Secretary Yasay, both duty-bound to defend the rights of Filipinos overseas, especially drug trafficking victims like Mary Jane.”
Duterte had said in a press conference on Sep 5, before he was set to depart for Laos to attend the Asean Summit, that he was going to make a plea for the life of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina who was temporarily spared death by firing squad in Indonesia last year.
But he added that he is willing to accept any decision on her fate.
“I may just have to ask Widodo in the most respectful and very, very courteous way and if my pleadings fall on deaf ears, I am ready to accept for the simple reason I do not doubt the judicial system of Indonesia,” he said.
On Sep 10, the Indonesian attorney general, HM Prasetyol, asked the Philippine authorities to immediately finish the legal progress of Veloso so that a conclusion on her case can be reached.
“We only hope the Philippines could immediately and quickly complete her legal process there to give certainty,” he was quoted by Antara.
“He said that the AGO was not happy carrying out execution on death row narcotic convicts but it had to be done. He said the ruling has been legally binding as all legal avenues have been exhausted and added that the most important thing was ‘we wish to save the nation (through it).'” added the report.
Veloso’s execution by firing squad was put on hold in 2015 at the last minute upon the Aquino government’s intercession. She was also spared from another round of execution in July 2016.
This is a developing story and will be updated as soon as we have more information. The original headline of this story contained a typo that has been corrected.
