BALI, Indonesia — Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hiong Tan Wee on Wednesday said another Filipina is in death row for a drug-related case in Indonesia.
“There’s another one in Semarang,” Wee said in a press conference attended by the Filipino media covering President Rodrigo Duterte’s attendance in the ASEAN Leaders’ Gathering here.
Wee said he has no other details about the Filipina since he learned about it only last week.
He said there is also no information whether the Filipina was a drug courier like Mary Jane Veloso who was arrested and sentenced to death for drug trafficking.
Wee said he will go to Semarang in Central Java to personally get the full details on the Filipina’s case.
He said the Philippine government is extending assistance to the other Filipinos who are jail mainly due to illegal fishing.
“On my first month here, I went to Manado and Bitung. I visited a jail where there are about 48 prisoners, fishermen, who we caught in a boat,” Wee said.
He said the Philippine embassy has extended assistance to the Filipino fishermen, leading to the release of 20 of them.
“So every now and then, the consul general goes to the jail to visit them,” Wee said.
“Illegal fishing is something that we have to talk with them about,” he added.
On Veloso’s case, Wee said the embassy continues to extend aid like providing lawyer “to help her on the legal side”.
“We also gave financial assistance. Every three to four months, the embassy sends people to see her and I will also be going there in the next week or two,” Wee said.
He said Veloso’s case will not be in the agenda should a bilateral meeting between Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo pushes through on Thursday.
“That has been discussed with the President (Widodo) twice in the past. Right now, we are doing what we can to make her feel comfortable,” he said.
Drug trafficking is punishable by death in Indonesia where there are about 8,000 Filipinos, including 3,174 overseas Filipino workers. (Jelly Musico/PNA)
