Marcos asks Widodo to ‘reexamine’ Mary Jane Veloso’s case

ASEAN SUMMIT. Indonesia President Joko Widodo welcomes Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during the 42nd ASEAN Summit Plenary Session at the Meruorah Komodo Convention Center in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia on Wednesday (May 10, 2023). Marcos said he has asked Widodo to reexamine the case of jailed overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso, who has been on Indonesia’s death row over drug-related charges. (Photo: OP/Facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he has asked Indonesian President Joko Widodo to reexamine the case of jailed overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso, who has been on Indonesia’s death row over drug-related charges.

In a chance interview with reporters, Marcos said he mentioned Veloso’s case in his talk with Widodo on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

“Sabi ko (I said) the best that we can do I suppose is for the Indonesian authorities to reexamine the case para naman as a favor to the Philippines. ‘Yun lang ang napag-usapan namin(That’s the only thing that we talked about). Not much more than that,” Marcos said.

During his brief talk with Widodo, Marcos also said while he respects the prevailing laws in Indonesia as far as illegal drug charges are concerned, the Philippine government is working hard on Veloso’s case.

Marcos earlier said the Philippine government has not given up on Veloso, adding that it is pursuing all legal remedies including asking for her pardon, commutation of sentence, or even extradition to serve her sentence in the Philippines.

“But the Indonesian answered us that this is the law. Ito ‘yung batas dito sa Indonesia kaya’t kailangan natin ipagpatupad ‘yan. And they have already given us postponement … but that doesn’t mean it’s done,” Marcos said in one of his interviews.

Veloso has been jailed in Indonesia since 2010 when about 2.6 kilograms of heroin were found in her suitcase.

Six months after her arrest, Veloso was meted out the death penalty.

Her execution in April 2015 was postponed following the arrest of her recruiters in the Philippines.

In September last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had asked Indonesia to pardon Veloso.