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Philippines to accept Indonesia's decision on Filipino woman jailed on drug charges

Xinhua, September 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Philippines said on Monday that it will accept the decision of the Indonesian government on the fate of a Filipino woman jailed in Indonesia on drug charges.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said in a statement that President Rodrigo Duterte has told Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo during their bilateral meeting in Jakarta last Friday "that he respects their judicial processes and will accept whatever the final decision they will arrive at regarding her case."

Yasay was referring to the case of Mary Jane Veloso who is on death row in Indonesian jail for allegedly smuggling heroin into Indonesia. She has maintained her innocence, saying she was an unknowing drug mule.

Indonesia gave her a last-minute reprieve in April last year.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told a news conference that Duterte's "actual statement and conversation" with Widodo regarding Veloso went like this, "Follow your own law, I will not interfere."

He stressed that Duterte did not make any endorsement. "There was none, no categorical statement. There was no endorsement. He simply said, follow your own laws."

Duterte has refused to give details on his discussion with Widodo on Veloso's case.

Manila was forced to clarify its position on the case when news came out in the Jakarta Post that Duterte has given the "go ahead" if Veloso "were to be executed."

The reports quoted Widodo as saying, "I have already spoken to (Duterte) about Mary Jane's case. I said that Mary Jane brought 2.6 kilograms of heroin. And I also told him about the postponement of the execution. At the time, President Duterte said 'go ahead' if (Mary Jane) were to be executed."

But Yasay clarified that Duterte "has not given the so-called 'green light' to the execution of Veloso." He insisted that Veloso's execution "has been indefinitely deferred." Endit