MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs is racing against time to work on the second appeal for the judicial review of the case against Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, the Filipina on death row in Indonesia after the Indonesian authorities announced that the execution could take place anytime after April 24.
“We will no longer wait (for the copy of the Supreme Court decision.) We will file the second appeal in the next day or two,” Charles Jose, DFA spokesperson and assistant secretary, told reporters on Tuesday.
The Philippines was awaiting the copy of the decision of Indonesia’s Supreme Court rejecting the appeal of Veloso for a judicial review of her case.
But since Veloso has barely two weeks before the April 24 deadline, the second appeal will be filed in the next two days even if the copy of the decision has not yet been received, according to Jose.
“We are working against the April 24 deadline. Indonesia said April 24, they will carry out the executions if the legal procedures have been completed,” Jose said.
Veloso, 30, is facing death through firing squad for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage from Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta Airport in 2010.
Her appeal for clemency, along with those of the others convicted of drug smuggling charges more known as the “Bali nine,” has been rejected by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Indonesia’s Attorney General H. M. Prasetyo previously said that the government would consider the Asia-Africa Conference known as the “Bandung Conference” to be held in Jakarta and Bandung from April 18 to 24 in the timing of the executions. SM