Saving Mary Jane Veloso no longer Duterte's policy —De Lima

Senator Leila De Lima criticized on Monday the alleged go-signal of President Rodrigo Duterte to Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo to push through with the execution Mary Jane Veloso on charges of drug trafficking.

"This means he will no longer intercede, and that saving Veloso's life is no longer the policy of the President," De Lima said in a statement.

She also called on Malacañang to clarify on whether Duterte made the pronouncement during his meeting with Widodo in Indonesia.

"There is still much confusion in this, as Secretary Yasay has said that as a result of the meeting of the two Presidents, the execution has been held off indefinitely," she said.

A report on Jakarta Post quoted Widodo saying Duterte "has given the go-ahead to proceed with the execution." 

ABC Indonesia Correspondent Adam Harvey said Duterte made the statement during his working visit in Jakarta last Friday.

However, a Palace official dismissed the reports saying Duterte had a different position during his meeting with Widodo.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella recalled Duterte saying "Follow your own laws. I will not interfere" to Widodo.

Abella added Duterte made no categorical statement allowing Veloso's execution.

"There was none. There was no endorsement. He simply said, 'Follow your own laws'," Abella said.

Meanwhile, De Lima said it's no longer a surprise should Duterte's statements turn out to be true since he's a staunch supporter of the death penalty and has intensified the war against illegal drugs.

"But then again, magtataka pa ba tayo, e sa mismong bansa natin araw-araw mahigit kwarenta katao na ang napapatay ng walang paglilitis," De Lima said.

"So ano pa ang kwenta nga naman talaga ng buhay ng isa pang Mary Jane Veloso. Mapa judicial o extra-judicial execution, yan na ang polisiya ng gobyerno. Nakakalungkot. Nakakaiyak. Nakakahindik," she added.

'Sad and heartbroken'

De Lima, the former Secretary of Justice, said pushing for Veloso's execution negates the efforts of the Aquino administration in appealing her case to the Indonesian government through a mutual cooperation treaty.

"The fate of Mary Jane and saving her life has been important to us in the Aquino Administration, especially the DOJ which provided the Indonesian government the legal basis to hold the execution in abeyance using the mutual cooperation treaty between the Philippines and Indonesia on the prosecution of crimes," De Lima said.

She added that the Philippines was successful in holding off Veloso's execution by apprehending her recruiters.

"We provided Indonesia legal basis to hold off the execution by catching her recruiters and telling Indonesia we need her to prosecute them," De Lima said.

De Lima noted that Duterte's personal beliefs on punishing drug traffickers has overshadowed his administration's foreign policy.

"Now it appears all our efforts have come to nothing, because the President is a firm believer in the death penalty and the punishment of those convicted of drug trafficking, and these personal beliefs are now our government's foreign policy insofar as the fate of Veloso is concerned," she said.

"I am sad and heartbroken that the President will throw away all our efforts to save a life just like that, when it is still in his power to request for the holding off of the execution," she added. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/BAP, GMA News