MALACAÑANG yesterday said government will remain silent on its request for executive clemency for Filipino Mary Jane Veloso, who is on death row in Indonesia for drug charges, until Indonesia has made a decision.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced on Tuesday that the request has been made by the Department of Foreign Affairs through its counterpart.
In a briefing yesterday from Singapore where President Marcos Jr. was for a two-day state visit, Angeles said the President will also “make no statement until we have some kind of further development on Miss Veloso’s case.”
“For the moment, things are still moving. Since it was on September 4 only that our Foreign Affairs had brought the matter up to their local counterpart in Indonesia then… there’s no decision yet that’s made… for now there’s nothing final but we continue to look for solutions.”
She said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is overseeing the matter.
DFA spokesperson Ambassador Maria Theresa Daza said the department has “no further updates or comments.”
Angeles said in the briefing, “Like we said… when it’s a matter of international relations, the President will make a pronouncement only when the policy is already set in place and after recommendations made by the DFA.”
“We’re always very careful about any statement because they have repercussions later on.
We also do not want to transgress the sovereignty of another state,” she added.
Angeles said it does not mean the President is not doing anything about the matter.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo met with his counterpart, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, in Jakarta on September 4 to ask for clemency for Veloso, who has been in jail for drug related charges since 2010.
The Indonesian official promised to consult the Ministry of Justice about the matter.
Veloso was meted the death penalty in October 2010 and was granted a stay of execution on April 2015.
Veloso has consistently said her recruiters tricked her and gave her a suitcase containing illegal drugs, which she brought to Indonesia.
The OFW group Migrante International criticized Marcos for not personally talking to Indonesian President Jojo Widodo about Veloso’s case.
Marcos was in Indonesia on September 5 to 6 for a state visit.
“We are disappointed because President Marcos Jr. himself should have been the one to raise the appeal for clemency for Mary Jane to his counterpart as one of the priority issues.
This would have had a stronger impact,” said Migrante in a statement.
“Instead, the President seemed to downgrade the issue by leaving it up to the DFA to address on the sidelines,” it added.
But the group also said the appeal for clemency “is a significant development and brings renewed hope in our movement to bring Mary Jane home.”
Prior to Marcos’ visit to Indonesia, Veloso’s parents appealed to him to help bring Mary Jane home.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for prayers for Veloso.
“We don’t forget her as we continue to exhaust all means and make everything possible to bring her freely, safely home,” said Bishop Ruperto Santos, vice chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
“We support the kind and good deeds of our government officials. This is a very encouraging and inspiring move from the DFA,” he also said. — With Gerard Naval
