President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday refused to talk about the transfer of Filipina death row convict Mary Jane Veloso to the country, citing a request from the Indonesian government.
“We were asked by the Indonesian government not to make any announcements until everything is settled, so let’s respect that request,” Marcos told reporters.
Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano earlier said Indonesia expressed intention to transfer Veloso to the Philippines by Christmas.
Indonesia and the Philippines had formally agreed on the transfer of Veloso following a high-level meeting held abroad.
Veloso was convicted of drug trafficking after she was caught with 2.6 kilos of heroin in Yogyakarta and was given the death sentence.
Veloso has since been asserting her innocence, saying she was just a victim of human trafficking.
Earlier in the day, Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF), a fellowship of Catholic and Protestant bishops, appealed to Marcos to grant Veloso full clemency.
“After close to fifteen years of imprisonment, the EBF joins other groups in urging the Philippine Government to grant full clemency to the detained mother of two boys, and now grandmother to one – Mary Jane F. Veloso,” it said in a statement.
According to the group, Veloso has long become the symbol of overseas Filipino workers and the myriad of suffering they endure “at the hands of merciless persons who take liberties of their gullibility while seeking overseas employment.”
The DOJ earlier said it will be up to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. whether Veloso will be granted clemency or not.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
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