President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos said the national government will continue to appeal for the pardon of Mary Jane Veloso, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who is facing death row over alleged drug trafficking in Indonesia for almost 13 years.
"We haven't really stop. This is the impasse. We continue to ask for a commutation or even a pardon or extradition back to the Philippines," he told reporters in an interview on Tuesday, upon his arrival in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia for the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
Marcos said Veloso's case is not yet over despite the Indonesian government has already pronounced that the law must be strictly followed.
"We said, yes, we understand that she is convicted. We understand that the law in Indonesia is that way. But nonetheless, baka makahanap tayo ng paraan. Iuwi na lang namin ‘yan," he said.
The President said he will bring up Veloso's case, hoping that there might be other ways to overturn the Indonesian government's decision.
In September last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sought executive clemency for Veloso during Marcos Jr.'s state visit to Indonesia.
Veloso got convicted of drug trafficking after 2.6 kilograms of heroin was seized in her belongings at Yogyakarta airport, Indonesia in April 2010.
In October of the same year, she was sentenced to death by firing squad but was spared following the arrest of her recruiters.
