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Pinoy Abroad

Legal and diplomatic options to save Mary Jane Veloso now closed –DFA


(Updated 4:36 p.m.) The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said all legal and diplomatic options to save convicted drug trafficker Mary Jane Veloso from execution in Indonesia are now closed, conceding that her death is imminent.

Despite repeated pleas by the Philippine government for clemency, Indonesia has stood firm on its position to press ahead with Veloso’s execution, with Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo rejecting President Benigno Aquino III’s appeal and its court’s denial of a second motion for review on her case.

“Execution appears to be imminent,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told a press briefing in Manila.

“We recognize their sovereignty to enforce and implement their laws,” he said. “We have exhausted all legal remedies to Mary Jane and we did everything that we could but it seems both approaches – legal and diplomatic - have been closed.”

Asked if Veloso’s case has already reached a dead end, Jose said: “Well I think we can say that.”
 
Presidential Secretary Herminio Coloma, he said, stated earlier that when President Aquino learned of the decision of the Indonesian government, he instructed the Philippine Embassy in Indonesia to talk with the family “to find out what help we can still provide them.”
 
“Secretary Coloma has already been quoted with these words and besides, our embassy has already been asked by the Indonesian side who will be present in the execution ... so that is an indication that the execution will be carried out,” Jose said.

Jose made the statement even as Aquino — as reported by radio dzRB — made a last-ditch effort to save Veloso from execution by proposing to the Indonesian government she be turned into a witness to identify illegal drug syndicates.

The report on state-run radio dzRB said Aquino made the appeal to the Indonesian foreign minister. The President is still awaiting the Indonesian government’s response to his proposal, it said

Veloso, a 30-year-old mother of two who was meted the death penalty after 2.6 kilograms were found in her luggage upon entering Indonesia from Malaysia, will be the first Filipino to be executed in a Southeast Asian country in 20 years.

The last Filipino killed was domestic helper Flor Contemplacion, who was put to death in Singapore in 1995 for the murder of a compatriot. Contemplacion’s execution dismayed the Philippine government, resulting in a diplomatic fallout with Singapore.

Jose admitted the Philippine government is “saddened” and disappointed at the looming execution, but assured that it will not affect relations between Manila and Jakarta.

“Indonesia and the Philippines have very close bilateral relations and we have many areas of cooperation with Indonesia. We do not expect the bilateral relations to be affected by this particular case,” he said.

“We know she was given due process and her rights were upheld throughout this legal process,” he added.

Jose said the Philippine government is not aware of the exact time of Veloso’s execution, but said it could be carried out between 5:30 p.m. and after midnight of Wednesday.

Philippine Consul General Robert Manalo, he added, will be present during the execution.
Arrangements will also be made for the repatriation of Veloso’s remains to the Philippines.

Smuggling of large quantities of prohibited drugs is punishable by death in countries like Indonesia and China. Since 2011, five Filipinos drug couriers were put to death in China through lethal injection.

In exchange for huge payments, Filipino women and even men are reportedly being hired by West African drug syndicates to transport drugs mainly in Asia and South America - sometimes by ingesting it.  

Jose said a total of 88 Filipinos are facing death penalty abroad and more than half of this figure are drug-related cases, mainly in Asia. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News
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