Palace: Veloso’s case to be raised during Duterte-Widodo meet

MANILA – The case of convicted drug mule Mary Jane Veloso pending in Indonesia might be discussed during the bilateral meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, a Palace official said Thursday.

“The President can also be expected to discuss the situation of Filipino workers in these countries, including the case of Mary Jane Veloso,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Abella made the remark ahead of Widodo’s arrival in the country for a state visit and participation at the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.

Widodo and his spouse, Indonesia’s First Lady Iriana Widodo, are expected to arrive in Manila on Friday afternoon. He will then proceed to Malacañang Palace to have a bilateral dialogue with Duterte.

It could be recalled that when Duterte visited Indonesia in September 2016, he said he never raised the case of Veloso when he met Widodo.

The President also said that it would be in “bad taste” to ask Widodo to spare Veloso from execution as it would contradict his strong stance against illegal drugs.

Reports from Indonesia also quoted Widodo as saying that he was given the greenlight by Duterte to proceed with the right process, with regard to Veloso’s case.

Malacañang backed Duterte’s pronouncement and said the current administration would only make a plea for Veloso's clemency, once Indonesia’s high court issues a final decision on her execution.

Veloso was arrested in 2010 in Yogyakarta airport after being caught in possession of 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was given the death sentence later that year by an Indonesian court for the crime of drug trafficking.

She was spared from execution on the last minute.