JAKARTA: “The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) revealed that the Philippine government is trying to prevent the execution of a Filipino woman, who faces death by firing squad in Indonesia for drug smuggling,” officials said here the other day.
The report noted: “Foreign Affairs officials said the woman — whose name was not disclosed — was arrested at Yogyakarta airport in April 2010 carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin on a flight from Malaysia.”
The DFA’s disclosure that there’s a Filipina on death row came after recently elected Indonesian leader Joko Widodo’s government executed six convicted drug smugglers (five foreigners and one Indonesian). After the said execution, which happened earlier in January, the Indonesian authorities said they were preparing to execute 11 drug smugglers.
DFA spokesman Charles Jose explained that “an application to review the Filipina’s death sentence was filed at a district court near Yogyakarta last week.” He stated, “The Philippine government is making all the appropriate representations with the Indonesian government at all levels on our request for judicial review.”
The report noted: “Despite his image as a reformist, Indonesia’s new president has been a vocal supporter of capital punishment for drug offenders, disappointing rights activists who had hoped that he would take a softer line on the death penalty.”
