Manila raises case of Filipina on death row in Indonesia ahead of Jokowi-Marcos talks

The Philippines on Tuesday reiterated its call for clemency for Filipino migrant worker Mary Jane Veloso who is on death row in Indonesia, just hours before talks between the presidents of the two countries. 

Veloso was arrested at an Indonesian airport in April 2010 with 2.6 kg (5.7 pounds) of heroin in her suitcase and later sentenced to death, but her scheduled execution in 2015 was postponed at the last minute after Manila asked that her case be reviewed.

Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo renewed the Philippine’s years-long appeal for her release during a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Manila.

“That’s always been our position to see whether they can grant clemency. Now it’s up to their [Indonesian] government,” he said at a press conference afterwards. 

Veloso has maintained she had no knowledge that the suitcase given to her by her recruiter contained illegal drugs. Her lawyers argue that she was trafficked by a Filipina named Maria Cristina Sergio, who was arrested in the Philippines in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison in 2020.

In a separate statement, Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Ma. Teresita Daza said the Philippine government was providing legal, consular and welfare assistance to Veloso.  

The department “will continue working with the Department of Justice on the case filed by Veloso against her perpetrators,” she said.

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was due to arrive in Manila for a three-day visit on Tuesday, during which he would meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In May last year, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit on the Indonesian island of Labuan Bajo, Marcos personally raised Veloso’s case with Jokowi, though it is unclear whether he will do the same again this week.

Manalo and Marsudi co-chaired the Ministerial Meeting of the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The meeting also covered the South China Sea, the Rohingya crisis and human rights issues in Gaza.

Marsudi said that Indonesia was ready to work together with all ASEAN member states, including with the Philippines, to finalize a code of conduct for the South China Sea.

Under negotiation since 2002, the code is meant to prevent conflicts and maintain stability in the South China Sea, where four ASEAN members – Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam – have competing territorial claims with China. 

She said Indonesia welcomed the recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ statement on maintaining and promoting stability in the region. 

“This is an important step to ensure the South China Sea remains a sea of peace, stability and prosperity,” she said at the press conference. 

The two nations shared a common concern about the conflict in Myanmar and were committed to ASEAN's five-point consensus to restore peace and democracy, she said.

The foreign ministers also expressed support for Laos, the ASEAN chair for 2024, “to facilitate more dialogue and humanitarian assistance.” 

“As the impact of this crisis, we have witnessed a surge of Rohingya refugees to the region, including to Indonesia, a stronger regional cooperation is needed to address this issue, including the root causes,” she said.