President Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. AFP FILE PHOTO
“The law is the law.”
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he would respect Indonesia’s decision on the case of convicted Filipino drug courier Mary Jane Veloso.
“We will respect the judgment of your court. Period,” Duterte recalled telling Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo during their bilateral meeting.
READ: Duterte lets Jakarta decide Veloso case
The President said he did not discuss in particular with Widodo the case of Veloso.
“It could have been a bad taste in the mouth to be talking about it having a strong posture against drugs. And here you are, talking for something,” he said.
Duterte said he discussed with Widodo the death penalty in Indonesia.
READ: WHAT WENT BEFORE: Duterte on Veloso case
“It’s good that you have a death penalty here. At least, you can bring it down to the barest minimum,” the President recalled telling Widodo.
Appeal for clemency
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Philippine government would ask for clemency for Veloso once Indonesia’s Supreme Court acts on her case.
“When the Indonesian Supreme Court decides to act on the execution, that would be the time to present the compelling evidence of Veloso’s innocence as a justification for a plea of clemency,” Abella told reporters in a press briefing.
Veloso was earlier granted a reprieve from execution by Indonesia’s high court after her illegal recruiters were nabbed by authorities.
Indonesia previously agreed to allow Veloso to testify against her illegal recruiters in the Philippines.
“If it can be clearly seen that she is innocent, then that would be the ground for a plea for clemency,” Abella said.
The Palace official said Duterte respects Indonesian laws but stressed that the President did not give a “go-signal” to Widodo for Veloso’s execution
“He respects the judicial processes of Indonesia, that he will accept whatever final decision they will have on Veloso, this is assuming already that Veloso would have testified. And these statements were interpreted as a go-signal or green light by the foreign press,” he said. RAM/rga