Veloso may be Executed Next Week
MANILA: The Indonesian government will soon announce the complete list of those scheduled to be executed on July 17, and rumors abound that Mary Jane may be executed after almost three months of temporary reprieve, media reports said.
However, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose was quoted as saying by Philippine Star that the report was still being verified with Indonesian authorities.
Meanwhile, Migrante International reportedly said the Indonesian government is expected to announce the complete names of those scheduled to be executed by firing squad by July 17, or after the end of Ramadan, expressing apprehension that the list may include Veloso.
Sol Pillas, Migrante International secretary-general, said the Indonesian government has announced the execution of convicts on death row, including Frenchman Serge Atlaoui who, like Veloso, was only given temporary reprieve.
An appeal for clemency for Atlaoui was recently rejected by the Indonesian government, Pillas was quoted as saying.
Pillas reportedly called on the Philippine government to fast-track the resolution of cases that will prove Veloso’s innocence to ensure that she will not be included among those to be executed in Indonesia in the coming week.
When asked about the report, Jose told The Philippine STAR in a text message that “we have to verify that first with concerned authorities.”
Quoting information from her Indonesian colleagues, Pillas reportedly said Veloso’s reprieve is only temporary and the Indonesian court has yet to be updated on any development of the legal cases related to Veloso’s case, the news report said.
“It has been more than two months and they are still waiting for updates. Please, let us not abuse the Indonesian government’s patience and tolerance. Every minute still counts,” she further said.
Pillas said Migrante intends to submit to the Indonesian embassy a petition seeking to save the life of Veloso.
Migrante also sought help from the Philippine government for the family of Filipina domestic helper Marilyn Restor, whose body was found in a morgue in Saudi Arabia months after she was reportedly kidnapped, the report said.