Mary Jane Veloso moved to execution island
Second appeal
Veloso’s lawyers filed the second appeal in the Supreme Court Friday morning, arguing that she is a victim of human trafficking and should be protected, Jose said.
The first appeal questioned the accuracy of the translation in the court proceedings in her case, but it was rejected by the Supreme Court.
Submitted with the second appeal was the copy of the report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that Veloso was a victim of an illegal job recruiter identified as Maria Cristina Sergio, her godsister.
READ: Charges filed vs recruiter of Filipina on Indonesia death row
Veloso’s new defense claims Sergio, working with an international crime gang, had secretly stashed heroin in her suitcase. The drugs were found by authorities at Jogjakarta airport as she arrived there in 2009.
Article continues after this advertisementVeloso was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. She was convicted and sentenced to death in 2010.
Article continues after this advertisementIn a television interview on Thursday, Sergio denied she was an illegal job recruiter.
She also denied having anything to do with Veloso’s trip to Indonesia.
Jose said PDEA agents who traveled to Jogjakarta to interview Veloso and investigate her case recently filed charges of illegal recruitment, human trafficking and estafa against Sergio in the Department of Justice.
He explained that the objective of the judicial review is not to determine guilt or innocence but decide whether the death penalty imposed on Veloso is appropriate.
Jose said the DFA was making arrangements for Veloso’s family to see her on Nusakambangan as soon as possible.
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Migrante appeal
Martinez said Migrante also filed a second appeal for judicial review. Quoting from Olalia’s text message, he said the appeal was filed in district court in Jogjakarta at 3:50 p.m. Friday.
In a telephone interview, Olalia said the petition for review was based on two grounds.
The first, he said, is that it has not been established that Veloso is a drug trafficker, and that “the most that can be established is that she was in possession of heroin, without her knowledge and consent.”
“She did not buy it or [was selling] it,” Olalia said.
The penalty for drug possession, he said, should not be death but life imprisonment.
The second ground, he said, is that Veloso is a “victim of human trafficking.”
Asked if Indonesia could send the notice of execution over the weekend, Olalia said, “That is what we have to check.”
“But theoretically, I don’t see any reason why not,” he said.
Fury abroad
The Indonesian government has stuck to its hard line that the drug convicts must be executed, even if last-gasp legal maneuvers are still pending, provoking fury abroad.
France on Thursday accused Indonesia of “serious dysfunction” in its legal system that led to Frenchman Serge Atlaoui being sentenced to death, and said his execution would be “incomprehensible.”
Australia has pleaded repeatedly for clemency of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukurman, two Australians arrested as ringleaders of the Bali Nine drug-smuggling group.
A lawyer for the two Australians said a letter of instruction had been sent from the offfice of the Indonesian attorney general to those responsible for carrying out the executions.
He said it would be “a travesty” if they were executed while legal avenues were still being pursued.
“These developments are very concerning,” the Melbourne-based lawyer, Michael O’Connell, said.
“In effect, this letter of instruction is a step toward the execution of 10 people . . . in the near future,” he said.
Drug laws in Indonesia are among the world’s toughest and Widodo, who took office in October, says the country is facing a narcotics emergency that requires the ultimate sanction for convicts.
Veloso’s plight has been keenly felt in the Philippines, where around 100 protesters carrying “Save the life of Mary Jane” signs in Bahasa Indonesia picketed Jakarta’s embassy in Manila on Thursday.
“As you know, our Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) neighbors [are] not known for executing foreign nationals. We are a little bit surprised by the sudden change of policy. They have a new government. There is a sudden change of policy,” Yabes said.
Vice President Jejomar Binay, President Aquino’s adviser on migrant workers’ affairs, is in Indonesia to attend the Asia-Africa summit.
