NUPL on Veloso case: Judicial review does not mean stay of execution

A lawyer assisting in the case of a Filipino on Indonesian death row has said a pending judicial review does not automatically mean a stay or stop of execution.

“Whether a second judicial review is submitted or not, and whether the [Indonesian] Supreme Court grants it or not eventually, the implementation of the sentence can be done between this Sunday theoretically or as long as six months after the submission of the second judicial review because it is a political decision, not a judicial act,” said Edre Olalia, secretary general of National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).

NUPL is assisting the Indonesian lawyers from the Rudyantho and Partners firm in saving the life of Mary Jane Veloso who is convicted for drug trafficking.

The lawyers of Veloso have filed an appeal for a second judicial review in a last-ditch attempt to stop her execution.

Olalia said the appeal for the judicial review was filed at 3:50 p.m. on Friday at the District Court in Sleman, Yogyakarta.

Earlier, Olalia said the review appeal would be based on “newly discovered evidence” that Veloso was a victim of drug trafficking.

READ: PH Embassy files 2nd appeal to save Veloso from death sentence

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had forwarded a certification from its Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) that a letter-complaint had been filed against a certain Ma. Kristina “Tintin” Sergio, the alleged recruiter who was believed to be responsible for the illegal drugs found in Veloso’s suitcase on her way to Indonesia.

The first appeal for a judicial review was rejected by the Indonesian court on March 25.

Veloso has been moved to a prison island in Indonesia where the supposed execution will take place.

Veloso was arrested by customs and excise authorities at Audisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta for possession of 2.6 kilograms of heroin.

After six months, she was convicted by the District Court in Yogyakarta of drug trafficking and was sentenced to death. The Supreme Court in Indonesia affirmed her case in 2011.

Up to 2012, however, the government was clueless on the veracity of reports that a Filipino was convicted to death in Indonesia.

NUPL said the Philippine government had given Veloso legal assistance only after her death sentence was affirmed by the Indonesian Supreme Court. RC