"Even if the Philippines court found that Mary Jane was a victim of human traffic, the fact remains that she was caught trying to smuggle heroine to Indonesia, Prasetyo said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Attorney General HM Prasetyo said the government has remained with its decision to carry out the execution of death row drug convict Mary Jane Veloso of the Philippines.

"Even if the Philippines court found that Mary Jane was a victim of human traffic, the fact remains that she was caught trying to smuggle heroine to Indonesia, Prasetyo said here on Friday.

He said, however, that execution of Mary Jane was pending the the process of law (involving Mary Jane) in the Philippines to show respect to legal process of that neighboring country.

Mary Jane was spared execution in April last year after a woman admitted to the Philippines court that she cheated Mary Jane into smuggling heroine to Indonesia.

The Philippines authorities then asked for Mary Jane to testify in the trial of her trafficker in the Philippines.

Earlier this week President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was quoted as saying that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had given a go ahead for Mary Jane execution, but the statement drew protests not only from Manila but also from critics at home.

Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay Jr said Duterte, who was on a visit to Indonesia last week, did not give the go ahead for Mary Jane execution but simply told Jokowi that he respects the Indonesian judicial process.

Jokowi was widely criticized in the country and abroad for execution of more than 15 death row drug convicts in less than two years he is in power.

The Indonesian president has repeatedly said he would not give clemency for drug convicts arguing 50 Indonesian died every day on drug related causes.

Earlier, the Indonesian Migrant Workers Network (JBMI) urged Jokowi to stop death execution including of Mary Jane.

"Mary Jane was only a victim like tens of Indonesian migrant female workers now facing death sentence abroad," JBMI coordinator Sringatin said in a statement made available to ANTARA on Tuesday.

JBMI did not agree with Jokowi using statement by President Duterte, who was even tougher in his anti drug campaign, as reason to go ahead with execution of the death verdict on Mary Jane.

President Jokowi failed to consider the fate of 209 Indonesian migrant workers, including 63 women facing death sentence abroad, Sringatin said.

"The Indonesian government has adopted the Criminal Law on Human Traffic in 2007. The government, therefore, should uphold justice and protect victim like Mary Jane, Merri Utami and other such victims in line with the law," Sringatin added.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016