No date set for Rody meet with Veloso kin

President Duterte’s meeting with the family members of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, is not yet set, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said yesterday.

The President refused to divulge the details of his talk with Indonesian President Joko Widodo regarding Veloso when they met on Friday during his working visit to Jakarta.

Duterte said upon arrival from Indonesia over the weekend that it would be improper for him to talk about Veloso’s case without contacting the family first and updating them on developments.

The President said he told Widodo that “we will continue to respect each other’s judicial processes” when asked about what they discussed about drug offenders.

“The rule of law is what matters, it gives order to the community,” he said.

Although she maintained her innocence during trial, Veloso was meted the death penalty and had been scheduled to be executed on April 29 last year.

Her execution was stayed after the Philippine government pleaded that she be allowed to testify in a case here against her alleged illegal recruiter, Maria Kristina Sergio and Sergio’s partner Julius Lacanilao and a third man of an African descent, and prove that she was just used to transport the illegal substance.