INDONESIA has again spared the life of Filipina mother Mary Jane Veloso, who was convicted to die by firing squad for drug smuggling, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.
In a statement, the DFA confirmed that Veloso is not among the convicted foreign criminals to be executed in Indonesia this coming month.
“This is the third time that Veloso was spared from death. The first was the Philippines appeal to President Joko Widodo in May 5, 2015, and spared for the second time because of the observance of Ramadan in June this year,” the DFA said.
Veloso, who was sentenced to death for bringing 2.6 kilograms of heroin to the Yogyakarta Airport in 2010, said she was duped into bringing the illegal drugs to Indonesia by her recruiters.
The DFA received a report that Veloso was excluded from next round of executions in Indonesia after the Indonesian president ordered a resumption in the execution of convicted criminals.
Veloso got a last-minute reprieve last year, following a request from Manila after recruiter, whom Veloso had accused of planting drugs in her luggage, surrendered to police in the Philippines.
Indonesia Attorney General H. M. Prasetyo said that the Indonesian court “respects the legal process that is taking place in the Philippines.”
Indonesia has said it will resume executions this year, but has given no date for the resumption.
Prasetyo said 16 prisoners will be executed this year, including nationals from Nigeria and Zimbabwe, but has declined to give say when this would happen. That number will be more than doubled next year, he said. –