Indonesian court denies PHL’s second appeal on Veloso’s case

(Updated 6:51 p.m.) Indonesia's Sleman district court on Monday afternoon rejected the Philippine government's second appeal for judicial review on the case of Mary Jane Veloso, the 30-year-old Filipina set to be executed on Tuesday afternoon.

"Our embassy has confirmed that the second appeal was rejected. Embassy is now asking the lawyers to determine whether [President Benigno Aquino III's] discussions this morning with [Indonesian] President [Joko] Widodo may open another window," said Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose in a text message.

According to Sleman district court, the second appeal was denied based on Supreme Court rule that only one appeal is allowed.

The Philippine government filed its second appeal for judicial review last week, hoping to commute her sentence to life imprisonment. The first appeal was filed in March.

If the execution continues, Veloso will be the first Filipino to be put to death in a Southeast Asian country in 20 years, the last one being domestic helper Flor Contemplacion, who was executed in Singapore in 1995 for the murder of a compatriot.

Next move

A television interview on lawyer Edre Olalia, one of Veloso's counsel, said they will talk with their Indonesian counterparts regarding their next move following the court's decision.

With the court decision, Olalia said the Philippines can still bank on the political approach to save Veloso's life, referring to the countless appeals made by various personalities and groups to the Indonesian government to spare her life.

"Kailangang ipilit na natin, i-focus na natin siguro dun sa panawagan kay Presidente [Joko] Widodo na pagbigyan na yung kahilingan at lumalaking panawagan na babaan na yung sentensya kundi man sya ay palayain," he said on GMA News TV's "QRT."

No less than President Benigno Aquino III has personally appealed to Widodo to save Veloso from the firing squad when the two leaders met earlier in the day in Malaysia during the ASEAN Summit.

Apart from Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay, the presidential adviser on OFW concerns, and even Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, have appealed to Widodo to spare Veloso's life.

Veloso, arrested in April 2010 at the Yogyakarta Airport, was sentenced to death for possession of 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. She denied being a drug courier, saying she was tricked into bringing the luggage to Indonesia by a Filipino friend who is also her recruiter.

First appeal
 
Manila first sought an appeal last March, questioning the competence of the translator provided to Veloso during the trial. It was rejected by Indonesia's Supreme Court, but its laws allow death penalty cases to be appealed and reviewed despite a final ruling.
 
The second appeal includes proof that Veloso is not a drug smuggler based on the findings of a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency team who visited her in prison last month.

Veloso is set to be executed along with other foreigners from Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, and Australia who are all convicted for drug-related charges.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also urged Widodo not to execute the prisoners and called on him to "urgently consider declaring a moratorium on capital punishment in Indonesia, with a view toward abolition".

Widodo's determination to deal harshly with drug crimes has won popular support at home. The Southeast Asian country resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap and six convicts have gone before a firing squad so far this year. —with Michaela del Callar/KBK, GMA News