Hands-off si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa hatol na kamatayan ng Indonesia sa drug convict na si Mary Jane Veloso, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) na nakumpiskahan ng heroin sa nasabing bansa noong Abril 2010.

Ayon kay Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella, ang posisyon umano ng Pangulo ay huwag pakialaman ang kaso ni Veloso.

“The President just informed us that his actual statement and conversation with President Widodo went like this. He said regarding Mary Jane Veloso, he said ‘follow your own laws. I will not interfere,’” ani Abella.

Ang pahayag ng Palasyo ay reaksyon sa ulat ng Jakarta Post, kung saan sinasabi umano ni Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo na may go signal na si Pangulong Duterte sa execution ni Veloso.

“President Duterte has given the go-ahead to proceed with the execution,” quote ng Jakarta Post sa pahayag ni Widodo na hango umano sa Antara news agency sa Serang Banten.

Idinagdag pa umano ni Widodo ang mga katagang “I have explained to (Duterte) about Mary Jane’s situation and I told him that Mary Jane (has been found guilty) for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin. I also told him about the delay in the execution during the meeting.”

Ilang beses ding nakaligtas sa bitayan si Veloso, kung saan ang pinakahuli ay nang sumuko ang recruiter nito na sinasabing naglagay ng droga sa bagahe ng OFW. Ang nasabing recruiter ay nililitis na ngayon sa korte sa bansa.

Indonesia, may apela

Nitong nakaraang linggo, umikot ang ulat ng Antara News na nagsasabing hiniling ng Indonesian Attorney Generals Office sa Philippine authorities na bilisan na ang ‘legal progress’ sa kaso ni Veloso. “So that her execution in Indonesia could be immediately done,” ayon pa sa ulat.

“We only hope the Philippines could immediately and quickly complete her legal process there to give certainty,” ayon kay Attorney General HM Prasetyo noong Biyernes.

Aalamin pa rin umano ng mga abogado ni Veloso ang report.

“Unless there is indubitable, A1 confirmation either way, the Veloso family and their Filipino lawyers from NUPL [National Union of People’s Lawyers] opt for the moment to decline to give comment until we receive official information both from the PH and Indonesian governments,” ani Edre Olalia, isa sa Filipino lawyers ng OFW.

Shock lahat

Nagulantang naman ang pamilya ni Veloso sa nasabing balita.

“Migrante and the Veloso family are in shock over the news coming from Jakarta. We demand an immediate explanation from President Duterte and Secretary [Perfecto] Yasay, both duty-bound to defend the rights of Filipinos overseas, especially drug trafficking victims like Mary Jane,” ayon kay Garry Martinez, Migrante International chairperson.

(GENALYN KABILING at SAMUEL MEDENILLA)