PNoy Appealed to Widodo to Save Pinay from Death Row – Palace
MANILA – The Philippines is not giving up on the case of Mary Jane Veloso who is on death row in Indonesia.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government is exhausting “all possible avenues” to appeal the sentence.
She said President Aquino personally brought up Veloso’s case when he met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo during the latter’s visit to Manila in February.
“The President raised it when President Widodo was here,” Valte said.
“The Philippine government continues to exhaust all possible avenues to appeal the decision in that particular case, and the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) has already mentioned that they will continue to pursue all possible avenues that are available to us to spare Miss Veloso from the penalty that… is supposed to be meted out.”
Veloso, who was convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia, is facing death by firing squad.
Valte said that Aquino had also previously taken up Veloso’s case with former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Valte said, has made representations with his Indonesian counterpart.
As part of its assistance, the government helped Veloso’s family to visit her in Yogyakarta where she is detained. Del Rosario also contributed seed money for the education fund of her children.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) also visited Veloso “to secure information on the possible drug syndicate behind the transport of drugs found in her possession.
“So we have been actively engaged in the case of Ms. Veloso, as well as subsequent needs that need to be attended to,” Valte said.