Duterte may raise Veloso’s case with Widodo | ABS-CBN
ADVERTISEMENT
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!
Duterte may raise Veloso’s case with Widodo
Duterte may raise Veloso’s case with Widodo
Dharel Placido,
ABS-CBN News
Published Apr 27, 2017 07:08 PM PHT
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he may raise with Indonesian President Joko Widodo the case of Mary Jane Veloso, an overseas Filipino worker on death row in Indonesia.
Speaking to reporters, Duterte said he may discuss Veloso's case with Widodo during their restricted meeting Friday.
Widodo is set to begin his state visit to the Philippines Friday, ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ meeting.
Veloso was sentenced to death in October 2010 after she was caught with 2.6 kilograms of heroin at a Jakarta airport. She has maintained innocence, saying she did not know she was carrying contraband in the luggage that her recruiters had given her as a gift at the time.
Speaking to ANC in Jakarta, Widodo said he was not ruling out clemency for Veloso, but added that this would depend on prevailing laws in his country and how the court would rule on the case.
"I respect the prevailing laws and regulations in Indonesia. Same thing goes for Mary Jane Veloso's case," he said in Bahasa.
Widodo also stressed the need to protect migrant workers while not compromising ties among Southeast Asian countries.
"Indonesia respects the rights of Mary Jane, and I know Mary Jane is also facing cases in the Philippines. Therefore, the cooperation between the governments of the Indonesia and the Philippines is very important in resolving this issue," Widodo said.
Indonesia stopped Veloso’s execution in 2015 after the Philippine government said her testimony would be vital in the case against her alleged illegal recruiters, Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao.
But in a recent development in Veloso's case, the Court of Appeals, in a dated March 24, granted the petition of her recruiters, who argued that securing Veloso's written deposition would be prejudicial to their rights to confront witnesses face to face.
Veloso’s mother, Celia, went to Malacañang on Wednesday and appealed for Duterte ensure that her daughter would be spared from execution in light of the new developments in her case here.
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he may raise with Indonesian President Joko Widodo the case of Mary Jane Veloso, an overseas Filipino worker on death row in Indonesia.
Speaking to reporters, Duterte said he may discuss Veloso's case with Widodo during their restricted meeting Friday.
Widodo is set to begin his state visit to the Philippines Friday, ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ meeting.
Veloso was sentenced to death in October 2010 after she was caught with 2.6 kilograms of heroin at a Jakarta airport. She has maintained innocence, saying she did not know she was carrying contraband in the luggage that her recruiters had given her as a gift at the time.
Speaking to ANC in Jakarta, Widodo said he was not ruling out clemency for Veloso, but added that this would depend on prevailing laws in his country and how the court would rule on the case.
"I respect the prevailing laws and regulations in Indonesia. Same thing goes for Mary Jane Veloso's case," he said in Bahasa.
Widodo also stressed the need to protect migrant workers while not compromising ties among Southeast Asian countries.
"Indonesia respects the rights of Mary Jane, and I know Mary Jane is also facing cases in the Philippines. Therefore, the cooperation between the governments of the Indonesia and the Philippines is very important in resolving this issue," Widodo said.
Indonesia stopped Veloso’s execution in 2015 after the Philippine government said her testimony would be vital in the case against her alleged illegal recruiters, Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao.
But in a recent development in Veloso's case, the Court of Appeals, in a dated March 24, granted the petition of her recruiters, who argued that securing Veloso's written deposition would be prejudicial to their rights to confront witnesses face to face.
Veloso’s mother, Celia, went to Malacañang on Wednesday and appealed for Duterte ensure that her daughter would be spared from execution in light of the new developments in her case here.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
