Labuan Bajo, Indonesia—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked Indonesian President Joko Widodo to reexamine and reconsider the case of jailed overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Meruorah Hotel here.
“I said, the best that we can do I suppose is for the Indonesian authorities to re-examine the case as a favor to the Philippines. That’s all we talked about. Not much more than that,” President Marcos told the PH media delegation onboard the presidential bound to Manila when asked if he was able to discuss Veloso’s case with Widodo.
The President said he mentioned Veloso’s case when he was walking with Widodo to one of the events during the Summit amid the hectic schedule of his Indonesian counterpart, who hosted the gathering.
Mr. Marcos mentioned to Widodo that the Philippine government is working hard on Veloso’s case, as he emphasized that they respect Indonesia’s laws on illegal drug charges.
The President earlier said the Philippine government is not giving up on Veloso — who has been in Indonesia’s jails for 13 years or since 2010 — as they are continuing asking for all legal remedies, including her pardon, commutation of her sentence, or even extradition to serve her sentence in the Philippines. Vince Lopez
“But the Indonesian answered us that this is the law. This is the law here in Indonesia, so we have to implement it. And they have already given us a postponement… but that doesn’t mean it’s done,” Marcos said at the Ayana Hotel in Labuan Bajo.
In September last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs asked Indonesia to pardon Veloso, who was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after she allegedly brought a suitcase packed with more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was sentenced to death in the same year, which has been deferred twice.