A delegation representing the Philippine authorities made a brief visit on Friday to the Wirogunan Penitentiary in Yogyakarta to meet Filipino death-row inmate Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, as an initial move to involve Veloso in a case against her alleged trafficker that might save her from an Indonesian firing squad
delegation representing the Philippine authorities made a brief visit on Friday to the Wirogunan Penitentiary in Yogyakarta to meet Filipino death-row inmate Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, as an initial move to involve Veloso in a case against her alleged trafficker that might save her from an Indonesian firing squad.
The 12-person entourage, led by Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras III, arrived at the penitentiary at around 11 a.m. on Friday. Among the visiting officials were Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar, Assistant State Prosecutors Mark Roland Estepa and Olivia Torrevillas.
The visit lasted only 30 minutes. The entourage later left without giving any statement to the press regarding their visit.
'They wanted to assess Mary Jane's condition as a part of the preparation to question her for the [trial of] trafficking suspects who allegedly recruited her,' Veloso's lawyer Agus Salim, who accompanied the visiting officials, said.
Veloso was among nine death row inmates scheduled to face a firing squad on April 29 for drug trafficking charges. The 30-year-old was arrested in possession of 2.6 kilograms of heroin at the Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta in 2010.
The Attorney General's Office finally decided to delay Veloso's execution after she was named a witness in a human trafficking case being investigated by authorities in the Philippines.
On Wednesday, the Philippine delegation met Attorney General M. Prasetyo in Jakarta, during which they officially requested for Veloso's testimony and access to her case dossier in order to gather proof against Maria Kristina Sergio, Veloso's alleged trafficker who is currently detained in the Philippines.
After the meeting, Prasetyo said that if the Filipino courts found Sergio guilty of human trafficking, Veloso could try to use the results as 'new evidence to be considered in a case review or clemency appeal'.
Agus, however, said he had yet to know for sure when Veloso would be officially required to give testimony in Sergio's case.
Separately, head of the Yogyakarta provincial office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Dwi Prasetyo Santoso, said the visit was just an ordinary one made among Philippine citizens. 'They wanted to express sympathy to Mary Jane,' said Dwi, adding that the short visit had been concluded with a joint prayer.
Spokesperson of Yogyakarta Higher Prosecutor's Office, Zulkardiman, meanwhile, said the Philippine law enforcers had just wanted to know about Veloso's condition. 'A schedule regarding when Mary Jane will be questioned for her testimony on the trafficking case has not been given,' he said, adding that Veloso's status remains as a death-row inmate whose execution was postponed.
Last month, Superstar Filipino boxer Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao also visited Veloso in prison, during which he reiterated his plea to the Indonesian government to spare the life of his compatriot.
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