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Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Veloso execution not certain’

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THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said there was no confirmation that convicted drug courier Mary Jane Veloso would be included among the 14 drug convicts who were sentenced to execution this year.

“Mary Jane was indeed given the death sentence for possession of illegal drugs [last year] but her execution was not carried out at the last minute due to Philippine government’s intervention,” Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said.

“The deferment of MJ’s execution was premised on the understanding that we need her testimony in the case that was filed versus her alleged recruiter,” Jose said, noting that queries to the Indonesian Embassy resulted in negative replies.

“That’s why it’s important that we press with the case against alleged recruiters. If it can be proven that MJ is innocent and was only a victim. Then we can use that as basis to make another request for clemency,” he added.

Jose made the statement after Indonesia’s National Narcotic Agency handed down the death sentences to 55 drug convicts Jan. 5.

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The DFA said 14 of the 55 are now awaiting execution, but their names and nationalities were not released and it remains unclear if Veloso is among them.

But Veloso’s Filipino lawyer, Edre Olalia, said it was unlikely that Veloso would be executed because Jakarta had already granted her a stay of execution on the understanding that the masterminds were already under custody and undergoing trial in the Philippines.

“As far as we know, it is still status quo. [The] Indonesian news refers to a general policy announcement about new executions in general, without naming who are included and who are not,” Olalia said, adding he believes Jakarta’s announcement that executions are not priorities.

Jose agreed and said Indonesia still had a moratorium on execution as it prioritized economic ventures over its strict anti-drugs measures as he emphasized Veloso’s precarious situation.

Concern over the fate of Veloso emerged after the execution of Joselito Zapanta, who was convicted of murder in Saudi Arabia.

But Malacañang said on Wednesday that public concern over the fate of compatriots meted capital punishment abroad was mainly because Vice President Jejomar Binay politicized Zapanta’s execution last Dec. 29 in Saudi Arabia after he was convicted for murder with robbery last 2010.

“We have always stated that this is a team effort and they are now trying to politicize the whole situation. I hope they wouldn’t,” said Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

But the Binay camp denied politicizing Zapanta’s death. Showing deep concern and sympathy to a fallen Filipino is not politicizing the situation. It is called empathy which the government failed to show over and over again, he said Binay’s spokesman Rico Quicho.

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