President Rodrigo Duterte (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY – Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay said President Rodrigo Duterte has not given the “green light” to the execution of overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso as reported by the Jakarta Post Monday, September 12.
The news was published titled, “Duterte has given the green light for Mary Jane’s execution: Jokowi”.
“President Duterte has not given the green light to the execution of Mary Jane Veloso,” Yasay said in a statement.
Yasay stressed that Veloso’s execution has been deferred indefinitely, but he said that the President never gave the go signal to the execution of Veloso.
He clarified that Duterte told Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo that he respects their judicial process and will accept their final decision on Veloso’s case.
The Department of Foreign Affairs described the report “erroneous”.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza also quoted Yasay as saying that the President “even asked for a thorough review of the case in the Indonesian court.”
“He asked about her personal situation and said that he was willing to help her in anyway to get justice. Mary Jane’s name had been previously removed from the list for execution pending review of her case. If the Indonesian court eventually renders the final ruling, then President said he would respect and abide by such ruling. ( Note: obviously this last sentence was the source of that spin of “Jakarta Post” in coming out with that story.),” Dureza said in his Facebook post.
But Widodo who talked about his meeting with Duterte about Veloso said: “Saya bercerita bahwa Mary Jane itu membawa 2,6 kilogram heroine dan saya cerita mengenai apa…penundaan eksekusi kemarin. Dan si Duterte saat itu menyampaikan silahkan kalo emang mau dieksekusi …ya itu…”
(I said that Mary Jane brought 2.6 kilos of heroin and discussed about the earlier postponement of the execution. And Duterte, at that time, said: ‘if (the Indonesian government) is really bent on executing her, then go ahead.That’s it.’)
Widodo explained that that was only what Duterte said. “But we have to see the legal process with the Attorney General,” Widodo said in Indonesian.
Before leaving for the ASEAN Leaders Summit in Vientiane, Laos Monday afternoon, September 5 Duterte said that he is ready to accept whatever Widodo’s decision is.
“I may just have to ask President Widodo in a most respectful and very, very courteous way and if my pleadings will fall on deaf ear, I am ready to accept it,” said Duterte during his pre-departure message at the Davao International Airport.
Veloso was sentenced to die by firing squad in Indonesia on April 26 last year, but she was granted reprieve on a case hearing of her alleged recruiter who also surrendered to the authorities.
Duterte said he does not doubt the judicial system of Indonesia.
“I have been there once upon a time. And I was able to observe how it works,” he said.
He said if President Widodo will deny his pleading he will accept it and will be grateful for treating Veloso well. (davaotoday.com)
