Malacañang on Friday said that the government is “exhausting all possible avenues” to appeal the case of Mary Jane Veloso, who is facing the death penalty in Indonesia for smuggling heroin.
“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 Ms Veloso from the penalty that is supposed to be meted out,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said during a briefing.
She said President Benigno Aquino III himself raised the issue with Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when the latter visited the country earlier this year.
Asked why the two leaders did not mention Veloso’s case during the state visit, Valte said, “There are many things that are discussed that we really do not make public owing to the sensitive nature of the case.”
“I will try to get more information as to the response of President Widodo. But at this juncture, I don’t think that it was deliberately kept out of public views,” she said.
Valte pointed out that Aquino also discussed the issue with former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
“We have facilitated and covered the cost of the visit of the next of kin of Ms Veloso to Yogyakarta where she is currently detained,” she said.
Valte said funds were also allotted for the education of Veloso’s children while the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has been trying to investigate whether a drug syndicate was behind the transport of drugs found in her possession.
Veloso’s family has accused the Aquino administration of abandoning her case for five years.
READ: Kin of maid in death row: DFA abandoned her
The court ruled that she be executed by firing squad although no schedule has been set. A report said no executions will be held until April 24 or when the Asia-Africa Conference held in Jakarta ends. RC
READ: Filipina spared: No executions in Indonesia until April 24
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