JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – The government has postponed the execution of Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, a Philippine citizen and one of a the death-row drug convicts, after Philippine President Benigno Aquino phoned President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Spokesperson of the Attorney General Office (AGO) Tonny Tubagus Spontana confirmed the request from President Benigno Aquino to the press this morning.
According to Tonny, Maria Kristina Sergio, a woman known as the recruiter of Mary Jane, has surrendered herself to the Philippine police. So therefore, Mary Jane will be needed to testify in a questioning over Maria Kristina Sergio in an allegation of human trafficking case.
As reported earlier, Mary Jane is initially one of ten death-row drug convicts to be executed by firing squads last night. Mary Jane was sentenced to death for proven guilty of smuggling 2.6 kilos of heroin to Indonesia. But Mary Jane asks a clemency to President Jokowi as she claimed that she was just a victim of human trafficking.
Other than Mary Jane, the government also delayed execution of Serge Areski Atlaoui (France), another death-row drug convict, due to waiting final verdict from the court. (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)