DID DUTERTE GAVE "GO SIGNAL" TO MARY JANE VELOSO'S EXECUTION IN INDONESIA? PALACE OFFICIALS SAID NO, HE DIDN'T.
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Philippine and Indonesian media have contradicting claims about the alledge statement of President Rodrigo Duterte giving "go signal" to the execution of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso who has been found guilty for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin.
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Veloso was arrested at Adisucipto Airport in Yogyakarta in April 2010.
"President Joko Widodo said on Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had given the green light for the execution of Filipina death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso. President Duterte has given the go-ahead to proceed with the execution” - The Jakarta Post
After few hours, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella clarified President Duterte's "actual" words to Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the case of Mary Jane Veloso.
"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.' - Rappler News
Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay also denied the report that President Rodrigo Duterte gave the go-signal for the execution Veloso, who remains on death row in Indonesia for drug smuggling.WATCH: Presidential spox Abella on what #PresidentDuterte told Pres Widodo re Mary Jane Veloso @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/tszGRyuBNY— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) September 12, 2016
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In a statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs that echoed Malacañang’s, Yasay said Duterte only told Indonesian President Joko Widodo that “he respects their judicial processes and will accept whatever the final decision they will arrive at regarding her case.”
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, Journalist Adam Harvey, ABC correspondents in Indonesia stood by his reports that President Duterte gave go-signal for the execution of Mary Jane.Yasay: No green light by #PresidentDuterte on Veloso execution. His statement in full below. https://t.co/U8qBsKWIYb pic.twitter.com/5zRwtAEgbZ— DFA Spokesperson (@dfaspokesperson) September 12, 2016
He also shared the audio clip of Indonesian President Joko Widodo making the claim.
“He (Widodo) was speaking to the media outside the grand mosque in Serang, Banten (for the Eid’l Adha),” Harvey said to this reporter on Facebook.
Duterte traveled to Indonesia last week to meet with Indonesian president Joko Widodo on bilateral issues, among them to appeal for pardon for Veloso.
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'I was there!'
RODY NEVER SAID 'YES' TO VELOSO EXECUTION
By Manny Piñol
Secretary, Dept. of Agriculture
Is this another case of "lost in translation?"
Earlier today, Tempo editor Rey Bancod called to ask me to validate a news report coming from Jakarta, Indonesia quoting President Joko Widodo as saying that President Rody Duterte gave his "Go" signal for the execution of convicted drug mule Mary Jane Veloso.
This was followed by another interview by DZMM anchor Anthony "Ka Tunying" Taberna who also asked me the same question.
Well, here is my answer: No, I never heard President Duterte say that he was giving the Indonesian Government the "Go" signal to execute Veloso.
Why am I so sure?
Well, I was present during the bilateral talks between the Indonesian Government and the Philippine Government at the Istana Merdeka President Palace.
I was also present during the delivery of official statements by the two Presidents after the bilateral talks and I also joined the party during the State Dinner tendered by President Widodo for President Duterte and his Party.
During the bilateral talks, I was seated a chair away from President Duterte with Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. seated between us.
Across the table, Indonesian President Widodo was facing President Duterte and I was about two meters away from him.
Maybe it was out of habit that as a former newsman, I took notes of the exchange of statements between the two Presidents during the bilateral talks.
It was President Widodo who made the opening statement and President Duterte responded by reading a prepared statement.
I could not quote President Duterte verbatim but I am sure that the transcript of his statement would prove that what he said during the official statement was the following:
"We respect your laws. We will not interfere with your judicial processes but we are asking for clemency."
That statement referred not only to the case of Veloso but also for the 105 Filipino fishermen who are now detained in different jails all over Indonesia for alleged illegal fishing activities.
So is this another case of "lost in translation?"
Only the Indonesian side could explain that.
As far as I am concerned and as a former journalist myself, I can state with certainty that during the official bilateral talks between the two leaders, President Duterte never said he was giving a "Go" signal for the execution of Veloso.
In fact, he did not even mention her name and only referred to her as a Filipino whose fate under Indonesian laws he would respect.
©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO