Indonesia’s Sleman district court rejected the appeal of Mary Jane Veloso for second judicial review on her case today. Minerva Lopez, one of the Filipino lawyers of Mary Jane, confirmed the decision in a press conference held in front of the Indonesian embassy in Makati City where Mary Jane’s supporters held a vigil.

“We confirm that 4:15 in the afternoon, Mary Jane’s second application for judicial review was been rejected,” said Lopez, who just came from Indonesia. “The biggest option now is political action from the Filipino people and people all over the world who are supporting Mary Jane.”

The appeal was denied based on a technicality in the Indonesian Supreme Court rule that only one judicial review per case may be allowed.

But according to Mary Jane’s Indonesian lawyers, said Lopez, there were instances when a second judicial review was allowes by the Indonesian courts.

“At the moment, our Indonesian counterpart lawyers are studying what may be our next possible move to save the life of Mary Jane,” said Lopez.

Gary Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International, hit Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s “double standard”. Martinez cited Widodo’s decision to halt the execution of a French national due to pressure imposed by the French president.

“He is heartless. Is (the decision not to grant clemency to Mary Jane) because our country is poor and we have a President who cannot stand for its people? What is more painful is that they (Indonesia) will kill an innocent Filipina and President Aquino does nothing. There will be blood in Aquino’s hands in the next hours,” said Martinez.

Barred from prison island

Migrante, meanwhile, condemned the Philippine government and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for not allowing Edre Olalia, one of Mary Jane private lawyers from National Union of People’s Lawyers, to go with the Veloso family in their visit to Mary Jane in the prison island.

The purported reason given was that there were stricter security measures that day. Neither the Philippine ambassador, the consul general nor the DFA representatives took the chance to explain to Olalia why he was disallowed from joining Veloso delegation even after he was duly recognized by the Indonesian authorities and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

No embassy or DFA representative asserted Olalia’s legal standing to the Indonesian authorities, according to Migrante.

Intensifying actions

As crucial hours approached before Mary Jane’s execution, Mary Jane’s supporters called on the Filipino people and supporters around the world to intensify their call and actions to save the life of Mary Jane.

“It is not acceptable. If the government gave up already, it is now the people who can only save Mary Jane,” said Martinez.

Various sectors across the country have shown their solidarity to save the life of Mary Jane. Even international boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao appealed to President Widodo to halt the executiion. He also appealled to Filipino people to pray for Mary Jane.

“This is horrible news we received this afternoon. The Philippine president must exhaust all possible means to secure the safety of our kababayan, Mary Jane Veloso. The Philippine president must step up in appealing to the Indonesian president to halt the execution,” said Renato Reyes Jr., secretary-general of multi-sectoral group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).