Palace: Indonesia vows to reexamine Veloso case

THE Indonesian government has committed to reexamine the case of convicted Filipina Mary Jane Veloso and wait for the decision of Philippine court on a case that she had filed against her recruiters, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said yesterday.

Garafil made the statement when asked if President Marcos Jr. was able to raise the plight of Veloso during the official visit of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and secure a commitment from him to reexamine the Filipina’s case.

‘’Yes, with the decision of the Indonesian government to look into the case filed by Mary Jane Veloso in the Philippines. In fact, the Indonesian government is waiting for the decision of the Philippine court on the case she filed,” Garafil said in a message to the media.

Veloso was convicted and meted the death penalty for drug trafficking in 2010 after she was caught with 2.6 kilos of heroin in Yogyakarta. She was given a temporary reprieve in 2015 following a request of the Philippine government.

Veloso has filed charges of human trafficking and large-scale illegal recruitment against her recruiters Julius Lacanilao and Cristina Sergio in a court in Nueva Ecija.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said legal interrogatories required from the Philippine court on Veloso’s case have been sent to Jakarta. Veloso’s response will form part of her testimony on the pending case that she filed.

The DFA said President Marcos Jr. is hopeful that the progression of Veloso’s case will merit her clemency at the appropriate time. It also assured Veloso’s family that the Philippine government will exhaust all efforts to assist them.

WIDODO ENDS VISIT

President Widodo was accorded departure honors at the Villamor Air Base yesterday on the last day of his three-day official visit.

Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), Ambassador to Indonesia Gina Jamoralin, and Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano sent off Widodo around noon.

During his visit to the country, Widodo and Marcos discussed enhancing collaboration across various areas, including political, security and economic partnership, and witnessed the