More than 2,200 Indonesians have died with coronavirus symptoms, data shows

More than 2,200 Indonesians have died with acute symptoms of COVID-19 but were not recorded as victims of the disease, a Reuters review of data from 16 of the country's 34 provinces showed.

Three medical experts said the figures indicated the national death toll was likely to be much higher than the official figure of 765.

Indonesia has one of the lowest testing rates in the world and some epidemiologists say that has made it harder to get an accurate picture of the extent of infections in the world's fourth most populous country.

The most current data from the 16 provinces shows there were 2,212 deaths of patients under supervision because they have acute coronavirus symptoms. Indonesia's health ministry uses the acronym PDP to classify these patients when there is no other clinical explanation for their symptoms.

The data is collated by provincial agencies daily or weekly from figures supplied by hospitals, clinics and officials overseeing burials. It was obtained by Reuters by checking websites, talking to provincial officials and reviewing World Health Organization (WHO) reports.

The 2,212 deaths were in addition to the deaths of 693 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in those provinces and were officially recorded as victims of the disease.

The 16 provinces account for more than three quarters of the country's 260 million population.

A senior member of the government's COVID-19 taskforce, Wiku Adisasmito, did not dispute the Reuters findings but declined to comment on the number of coronavirus victims he believed were to be found among the patients classified as PDP.

He said many of the 19,897 suspected coronavirus sufferers in Indonesia had not been tested because of long queues of specimens awaiting processing at under-staffed laboratories. Some people had died before their sample was analyzed, he said.

"If they have thousands or hundreds of samples they need to test, which one will they give the priority? They will give the priority to the people that are still alive," he told Reuters.

Adisasmito is the most senior public health expert on Indonesia's COVID-19 taskforce and the press office of President Joko Widodo typically refers queries to the taskforce.

According to the Ministry of Health's most recent COVID-19 guidelines, patients classified as PDP are those with acute respiratory illnesses for which there is no clinical explanation other than the new coronavirus.

To be classified as PDP, patients must also have travelled to a country, or an area in Indonesia, where the coronavirus has taken hold within 14 days of becoming sick.

"I believe the vast majority of PDP deaths were caused by COVID-19," said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, citing their COVID-19 symptoms and that there was no other identified cause of death.

Some senior government members played down the risk of an outbreak in January and February with some suggesting that prayer, herbal remedies and hot weather would help ward off the virus. The death toll is now the highest in Asia after China, according to a Reuters tally.

BURIALS

The provincial data follows a report by Reuters this month that burials in the capital Jakarta in March were up by 40 percent on any month since at least January 2018. The city's governor told Reuters that coronavirus was the only likely explanation.

Indonesia had officially recorded 9,096 coronavirus infections as of April 27. It has conducted 210 tests per million people. Neighboring Australia has tested 100 times more per capita, while Vietnam's testing is about 10 times higher.

"The true infection and death rate are higher than the officially reported data because our tests are still a very low number compared to the population," said Dr Iwan Ariawan, an epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia.

President Joko Widodo's government has been accused by activists and his political opponents of a lack of transparency in handling the epidemic.

The government says it has taken appropriate measures, but Widodo said last month that some information had been withheld from the public to prevent panic.

Widodo said last week he had told his ministers to report COVID-19 data truthfully. His government announced a new transparency initiative two weeks ago but a promised new website with all the data has yet to be launched.

Daeng Faqih, chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association, the country's pre-eminent grouping of doctors, has urged the government to reveal the national number of suspected COVID-19 patients who had died but were not tested.

The WHO representative office in Indonesia also said over the weekend that deaths of suspected coronavirus sufferers should be disclosed.

Adisasmito said the government was not hiding data and that he was unaware the WHO had called for suspected COVID-19 death statistics to be made public.

On Tuesday, the WHO declined to offer any comment beyond its weekend advice, made in its latest situation report on Indonesia.

-reuters-

Indonesia bans traditional Ramadan exodus to rein in coronavirus

JAKARTA - Indonesia will ban its traditional annual exodus by people streaming out of cities at the end of the Muslim fasting month in May, as the Southeast Asian nation looks to curb the spread of coronavirus, President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday.

Indonesia's tally of 590 virus deaths is the highest in East Asia after China, but Widodo had previously resisted a ban, seeking instead to persuade people to stay put.

But health experts had warned that allowing millions in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country to travel to their home villages after Ramadan could hasten the spread of the disease.

"I have taken the decision that we will ban 'mudik,'" Widodo told a cabinet meeting, using the Indonesian term for the journey. "That is why the relevant preparation needs to be done."

He cited a survey by the transport ministry that showed 24% of the archipelago's population of more than 260 million were insisting on joining the exodus after Ramadan.

Last year, about 19.5 million people in the archipelago made the journey, the government says, and Widodo added that 7% of Indonesians had already set out this year.

The world's fourth most populous country has recorded 6,760 virus infections for southeast Asia's second highest tally after the neighboring city state of Singapore, though some estimates put the figure far higher.

In a study last week, researchers at the University of Indonesia's public health faculty warned that if the exodus home were permitted, it could lead to a million infections by July on Java, the most populous island, home to Jakarta, the capital.

Without the exodus, that figure could be cut to 750,000 cases, the researchers said.

-reuters-

Suspected grenade blast near Indonesia's presidential palace hurts 2

JAKARTA - A suspected smoke grenade explosion on Tuesday at Indonesia's National Monument park, near the presidential palace in central Jakarta, injured at least 2 military officials, the capital's top police official said.

President Joko Widodo was not at the palace at the time of the blast, a presidential spokesman said.

It was not immediately clear if the blast resulted from a sectarian attack, but Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, has suffered a resurgence in homegrown militancy in recent years.

The park explosion was suspected to have been caused by a smoke grenade, and 2 injured military officials had been taken to hospital, Jakarta's police chief, Gatot Eddy Pramono, told a televised news conference.

The 2 injured officers were doing exercises in the park at the time, Jakarta military chief Eko Margiyono added.

Asked if the blast was the result of an attack, Pramono responded, "We haven't concluded so, because we're still investigating."

Earlier, Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono told Kompas TV "There was a blast, but we're still checking what the source was." He added, "Injured victims have been taken to hospital," but did not elaborate.

Last month, 6 people were wounded after a 24-year-old university student blew himself up outside police headquarters in the Indonesian city of Medan.

The attack was linked to the Islamic State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), responsible for a series of attacks across the country.

In October, a suspected Islamist stabbed and wounded former security minister Wiranto at a function to open a university building. Wiranto, who uses just one name, like many Indonesians, had to have surgery, but has since left hospital.

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Indonesia president vows to fight EU palm oil rules

Indonesia's president promised Friday to fight the European Union over plans to restrict the use of palm oil in biofuels.

Brussels wants to limit the materials that can be used in fuel that is counted towards its renewable energy targets.

It has set a 2030 limit for phasing out palm oil, which environmentalists say drives deforestation and climate change. 

But the plans have angered big palm oil producing nations like Indonesia and Malaysia, whose economies are dependent on the commodity.

In an interview with Bloomberg News published Friday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he was determined to get the EU to change its rules.

"For me, if there is discrimination like that, I will fight because of the 16 million farmers and workers in this business," he said. "Palm oil is a strategic commodity for Indonesia." 

Palm oil and its associated industries contribute roughly four percent to Indonesia's GDP and provide a livelihood for six percent of the population.

Jakarta last year earned $17.8 billion from exports of the oil, which is used in a wide range of products from food to cosmetics.

Palm oil company shares have dropped nine percent this year because of worries over the restrictions.

Both Indonesia and Malaysia — which together produce about 85 percent of the world's palm oil — have previously warned they will retaliate.

The president — known locally as Jokowi — insisted that after his landslide election win in April he had the mandate to take bold actions to bolster Indonesia's economy.

He said steps would include lowering corporate taxes, easing labor laws, and lifting restrictions on foreign ownership.

"I know better the problems," he said. "Because this is my last term, so I have no burden. I have nothing to lose."

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Riot in Indonesia

Fire crackers explode near supporters of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto during clashes with the police in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday evening. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said authorities have the volatile situation in the country's capital under control after six people died Wednesday in riots by supporters of his losing rival in last month's presidential election. 

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Indonesians choose president, parliament in world's biggest one-day vote

JAKARTA—Indonesians vote in the world's biggest single-day election on Wednesday, with polling stations opening first in the east of the sprawling equatorial archipelago after a six-month campaign to choose a new president and parliament.

President Joko Widodo, a furniture businessman who entered politics 14 years ago as a small-city mayor, is seeking re-election against former general Prabowo Subianto, whom he narrowly defeated in the last election, in 2014.

The economy has dominated a hard-fought campaign, though the rise of political Islam has loomed over the vote in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

Most opinion polls give Widodo a double-digit lead but the opposition says the race is much closer. It alleges data irregularities that could affect millions of voters and has vowed legal or "people power" action if its concerns are ignored.

"The system is not foolproof, but there are enough checks and balances in place," Kevin O'Rourke, a political analyst and author of the newsletter Reformasi Weekly, said this week.

He said problems with voter lists "are not so bad that it can affect the outcome of the election".

An unexpected win for the challenger could trigger a brief selloff in financial markets that have priced in a Widodo victory, analysts say.

"Should Prabowo win, this would literally be the end of opinion polling in Indonesia ... and a major, major upset," said Marcus Mietzner, associate professor at Australian National University.

"The question is what the margin of victory will be," he said, predicting Widodo's re-election.

'GAME OF THRONES'

Poll-related hashtags were trending on Twitter in Indonesia during a three-day quiet period in the run-up to voting day.

Social media users compared the presidential race to the HBO series "Game of Thrones" - with one online meme showing Widodo sitting on its coveted Iron Throne.

Widodo has touted his record on deregulation and improving infrastructure, calling it a first step to tackling inequality and poverty in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

A moderate Muslim from central Java, Widodo has had to burnish his Islamic credentials after smear campaigns and hoax stories accused him of being anti-Islam, a communist or too close to China, all politically damaging in Indonesia.

He has picked Islamic cleric Ma'ruf Amin, 76, as his running mate.

Prabowo, a former special forces commander who has links to some hard-line Islamist groups, and his running mate, business entrepreneur Sandiaga Uno, say they will boost the economy by slashing taxes and focusing on infrastructure.

QUICK COUNTS

Nearly 350,000 police and soldiers will join 1.6 million paramilitary officers stationed across the country of 17,000 islands to safeguard the vote.

More than 192 million people are eligible to cast ballots in national and regional legislative elections being contested by more than 245,000 candidates.

Polling stations will open at 7 a.m. (2200 GMT on Tuesday) in the east and close at 1 p.m. (0600 GMT) in the west.

Voters will have five paper ballots for president, vice president, and national and regional legislative candidates.

Unofficial "quick counts", based on samples from polling stations, will be released hours after voting ends. The winning presidential candidate could be known by late Wednesday.

Official results will be announced in May. Any disputes can be taken to the Constitutional Court where a nine-judge panel will have 14 days to rule on them.

(Reporting by Kanupriya Kapoor Editing by Ed Davies and Darren Schuettler)

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Indonesians to vote in world's biggest single-day election

JAKARTA -- Tens of millions of Indonesians will vote in presidential and parliamentary elections this week after campaigns focused on the economy, but with political Islam looming ever larger in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.

President Joko Widodo, a former furniture salesman who launched his political career as a small-city mayor, is standing for re-election in a contest with ex-general Prabowo Subianto, whom he narrowly defeated in 2014.

Most opinion polls give Widodo a double-digit lead but the opposition has disputed survey findings. It has also said it has uncovered data irregularities affecting millions on the electoral rolls and has vowed to take legal action or use "people power" if its complaints are not resolved.

Some analysts say an unexpected win for the challenger would probably cause a brief slump in Indonesian markets, while a very close race could elevate the risk of a disputed vote.

"In a scenario in which Widodo wins by an unexpectedly narrow margin, large and prolonged protests in Jakarta would elevate tensions and pressure the currency," said Kevin O'Rourke in the Reformasi Weekly note on Indonesia published last week.

While most polls have put the president ahead, they could not be taken for granted, a senior government official said.

"Absolutely everybody is flying blind because we don't know how far the opinion polls can be respected," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Widodo ended his six-month campaign with a mass rally at Jakarta's main stadium at the weekend, where festive crowds overflowed into a surrounding park and streets.

Running ran out on stage in sneakers, to the cheers of the crowd after an hours-long concert by local bands, he struck an optimistic tone for the future of the world's third-largest democracy.

That was a stark contrast to his opponent, who has repeatedly warned Indonesia is on the verge of collapse.

Prabowo, as he is usually known, held a similarly big rally the previous weekend where supporters, many dressed in Islamic robes, held a mass prayer before a fiery speech about how Indonesia was being pillaged by foreigners and the elite.

QUICK COUNTS

Widodo has touted a record infrastructure drive and deregulation as major successes during his tenure, calling it a first step to tackle inequality and poverty in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

In a televised weekend debate, Widodo and his running mate, Islamic cleric Ma'ruf Amin, said their opponents, neither of whom has served in public office for more than a few months, did not understand managing macrolevel economics.

Widodo, a moderate Muslim from central Java, has had to burnish his Islamic credentials after smear campaigns and hoax stories accused him of being anti-Islam, a communist or too close to China, all politically damaging in Indonesia.

Prabowo, who has close links to some hardline Islamist groups, and his running mate, business tycoon Sandiaga Uno, have pledged to boost the economy by slashing taxes as much as 8 percentage points, and focus on key infrastructure projects.

Nearly 500,000 police and military will fan out across the vast archipelago to safeguard the vote. In Jakarta, the capital, officers will guard polling station to deter voter intimidation or clashes, national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said.

More than 192 million will also vote in national and regional legislative elections, being contested by more than 245,000 candidates, in what is being described as the world's biggest single-day election.

Overseas voting is already underway, with thousands lining up outside Indonesian missions in Singapore and Australia.

On Wednesday, polling stations will open at 7 a.m. (2200 GMT Tuesday) in eastern Indonesia and close at 1 p.m. (0600 GMT) on the western side of the country.

Voters will manually punch five separate paper ballots for president and vice president, and legislative candidates.

Unofficial "quick counts", based on vote samples from polling stations, will be released hours after polling ends and the winning presidential candidate is expected to be apparent by late Wednesday.

The General Election Commission is expected to announce an official result in May.

Candidates have 72 hours after the official result to complain to the Constitutional Court. A nine-judge panel has 14 days to reach a decision, which cannot be appealed.

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Indonesian President orders officers to shoot drug traffickers

JAKARTA - Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has instructed law enforcement officers to shoot drug traffickers to deal with a narcotics emergency facing the country.

"Be firm, especially to foreign drug dealers who enter the country and resist arrest. Shoot them because we indeed are in a narcotics emergency position now," Widodo said in a speech delivered at an event held by one of Indonesia's political parties late on Friday.

His remarks have drawn comparison to that of Philippine's President Rodrigo Duterte, who launched a brutal anti-drug crackdown about a year ago that saw many alleged drug dealers killed.

The bloody campaign in the Philippines has drawn condemnation from the international community, including the United Nations.

Indonesia also has tough laws against drugs. Widodo has previously been criticized for ordering executions against convicted drug traffickers who were given a death penalty by the court. Rights activists and some governments have called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty.

Friday's shooting order from Widodo came a week after Indonesian police shot dead a Taiwanese man in a town near the capital Jakarta.

The man, who was part of a group trying to smuggle one tonne of crystal methamphetamine into the country, was killed for resisting arrest, police have said.

After the incident, Indonesian National Police chief Tito Karnavian was quoted by media saying he had ordered officers not to hesitate shooting drug dealers who resist arrest.

Reporting by Jakarta bureau; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Shri Navaratnam

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Duterte, Widodo to improve sea linkages, agri cooperation

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte and his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo will on Friday commit to improve sea linkages and agriculture cooperation, Malacanang said.

The two leaders are expected to issue a joint declaration on the establishment of a roll-on roll-off network from Davao and General Santos in the southern Philippines to Bitung in the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi, the Palace said in a statement.

Widodo is in the Philippines for a state visit. He will also attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.

Manila and Jakarta are also expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation.

During their bilateral meeting later Friday, Duterte and Widodo are expected to follow up on their discussions during the Filipino leader's visit to Indonesia last September.

These include security concerns in the Sulu-Sulawesi seas, the war onillegal drugs, maritime cooperation, enhancing economic ties, and intensifying people-to-people exchanges.

“They are expected to continue discussions on these topics and exchange views on new areas of cooperation,” Malacanang said.

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Saudi King Salman embraces 'selfie' on tour across Asia

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabia's King Salman has embraced the "selfie", taking part in a number of light-hearted self-shot pictures and videos during his tour of Asia that contrast with the pomp and formality of most of the octogenarian monarch's trips abroad.

In the first days of a lengthy regional tour, the king has appeared with top-ranking officials in Indonesia and Malaysia in pictures and clips that have been shared online millions of times.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo shared on Facebook a video of himself dining with the king at the presidential palace in Bogor, near the capital Jakarta.

In the video, both men comment on the visit, the first to Indonesia by a Saudi king in nearly five decades, and give viewers a rare peek into a state event.

As Widodo holds what appears to be a phone camera, the king is seen dining on soup and using gold-colored cutlery before commenting in Arabic on his 12-day visit to Indonesia, the longest leg of his month-long tour of Asia.

"I'm very happy to be here in Indonesia and with the Indonesian people," King Salman says to the camera, as an interpreter sitting behind him translates into Bahasa Indonesia.

The king was also photographed posing for a selfie with former president Megawati Sukarnoputri and her daughter Puan Maharani, who is a member of Widodo's cabinet.

Indonesia has a high concentration of Facebook and Twitter users, and selfies are a mainstay of social media in the world's fourth most populous country.

Earlier this week, Salman was seen in a selfie posted on Twitter with Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, during the first stop on his sweep across Asia.

Though rare, Salman has made occasional appearances on social media before, including when he posed last year for a selfie in Qatar with a teen who survived cancer.

The king is travelling with an entourage of several hundred people and nearly 500 tonnes of luggage, including two gold-coloured escalators.

After Jakarta, the delegation is set to take a break in the resort island of Bali, where up to four hotels and 300 luxury cars have been booked for more than a week, according to local police and a tour agency association.

Salman is also set to visit Brunei, China, Japan, the Maldives and Jordan.

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Indonesian air force plane crashes in Papua killing 13, official says

An Indonesian air force transport plane has crashed into a mountain, killing all 13 people board, during a training exercise in the remote region of Papua, a search and rescue agency official said on Sunday.

The Hercules C130 plane had taken off from the city of Timika before crashing near its destination of Wamena at around 6.15 a.m. local time (2315 GMT), said Ivan Ahmad Riski Titus, operational director of Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency. The crash site on Lisuwa mountain had been found and the bodies of the victims were being brought back to Wamena, he said.

Air transport is commonly used in remote and mountainous Papua, Indonesia's easternmost province, where land travel is often impossible.

Indonesia has a patchy air safety record and President Joko Widodo promised a review of the country's aging air force fleet last year after a military transport plane crashed, killing more than 100 people.

(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Editing by Ed Davies and Paul Tait)

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Suicide bomber attacks Indonesian police station, wounding one

JAKARTA - A suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a police station in the small Indonesian city of Solo on Tuesday, killing himself and wounding a police officer, a police spokesman said.

Shortly after the attack, President Joko Widodo, who is from Solo and a former mayor of the town, ordered police to arrest others that may have been connected to the suicide bomber.

"I have asked the police chief to chase down the network and uncover who is the suicide bomber," the president told reporters. "We hope for the people to remain calm in this last fasting day. No need to be scared."

Police said the attacker detonated the bomb he was wearing shortly after driving into the grounds of the police station in Solo, known as a hotbed for religious fundamentalism. A police officer who tried to stop him from entering sustained minor injuries.

The identity of the bomber was not immediately clear, but intelligence chief Sutiyoso told MetroTV he suspected the attacker was a supporter of Islamic State.

Indonesian authorities have been on heightened alert since the Islamic State militant group claimed an attack in the capital, Jakarta, in January that killed four people. The four attackers also died.

Southeast Asia's largest economy is home to the world's largest Muslim population, the vast majority of whom practise a moderate form of Islam.

Indonesia saw a spate of attacks in the 2000s, the deadliest of which was a nightclub bombing on the holiday island of Bali that killed 202 people, most of them tourists.

Police have been largely successful in destroying domestic militant cells since then, but they now worry that the influence of Islamic State could pitch the country back into violence.

Southeast Asian militants who claim to be fighting for Islamic State in the Middle East have said they have chosen one of the most wanted men in the Philippines to head a regional faction of the ultra-radical group that includes Indonesians and Malaysians, security officials said last month.

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Indonesia unveils new stimulus to lift ailing economy

JAKARTA - Indonesia on Tuesday introduced more stimulus measures to woo desperately needed investment, in its latest bid to boost the sliding rupiah and breathe new life into the slowing economy.

It was the second time this month that Southeast Asia's top economy has unveiled steps to battle a sharp slowdown, as it comes under pressure with other emerging markets due to a strengthening US economy and turmoil in China.

"We are making (investing in Indonesia) as attractive as possible," said Chief Economics Minister Darmin Nasution, announcing the latest measures along with several other ministers. "We must fix, simplify, make it cheaper."

New measures announced Tuesday included slashing the time taken to process investment permits from at least eight days to just three hours, with processing for permits in mining and geothermal projects in forested areas to be cut from up to four years to about 15 days.

To keep US dollars in the country, the government said it was cutting taxes for exporters who deposit their foreign exchange revenue in the country or convert it to rupiah, which should make it more attractive than depositing funds in countries such as neighbouring Singapore, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said.

President Joko Widodo, who has been in office for almost a year, is faced with a dire economic situation.

The rupiah has plunged about 20 percent against the US dollar this year, while the economy is forecast to grow less than five percent in 2015, its slowest pace in six years.

While many of the challenges facing Indonesia are blamed on global turmoil, the president must also contend with many domestic problems hampering the economy -- a complex bureaucracy, rickety infrastructure and confusing investment policies.

The World Bank ranked Indonesia 114th in its annual "ease of doing business" survey this year.

The first stimulus package, which included such measures as tax breaks and attempts to simplify confusing regulations seen as a drag on business, failed to boost the market and rupiah.

Economists welcomed the new policies but said they would not be a silver bullet.

"This is quite a good move from the government," said Josua Pardede, an economist from Indonesia's Bank Permata.

"But the market hopes the government can do more to build confidence for portfolio investment and to boost slumping domestic consumption."

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What changed Widodo's mind on Mary Jane Veloso

MANILA, Philippines - A meeting with a labor group in Indonesia may have prompted Indonesian president Joko Widodo to change his mind on executing Mary Jane Veloso.

In an interview with ANC, Anis Hidayah, executive director of Migrant Care Indonesia, said she met on Tuesday afternoon with Widodo who unexpectedly asked about Veloso's case.

Hidayah said she discussed the details of the case and appealed to the Indonesian president to spare the Filipina's life.

"We are also talking about the issue of Mary Jane. We talked to him that actually Mary Jane is the victim of human traffciking that also happened with many Indonesia migrant workers abroad also facing death penalty," she said.

Hidayah said they wanted to make sure Widodo was informed about the vulnerability of migrant workers, particularly from the Philippines and Indonesia, to drug smuggling rings.

She said she told Widodo that Veloso was a victim of the drug traffickers, and that her recruiter Maria Kristina Sergio had already surrendered to authorities.

"His first response was he was worried many people would testify that they are victims... But we made the illustration about the cases of Indonesian migrant workers in China, Malaysia and other countries, same with the case of Mary Jane," she said.

Hidayah said she was crying when she talked to Widodo about Veloso's case.

"I was crying when I illustrated the case of migrant workers, the case of Mary Jane, I said to him, 'if we kill the victims and tomorrow or next time we will find a new evidence, how can we be responsible for this, after the execution," she said.

The Indonesian government unexpectedly spared Veloso from execution at dawn on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Indonesia's Attorney General's Office said it had delayed the execution of Veloso, a housemaid and mother of two who was arrested in 2010 after she arrived in Yogyakarta with 2.6 kg of heroin hidden in her suitcase.

He said the delay was in response to a request from Manila after an employment recruiter, whom Veloso had accused of planting the drugs in her luggage, gave herself up to police in the Philippines on Tuesday. - With ANC and Reuters

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Court rejects 2nd appeal of Mary Jane

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia - An Indonesian court on Monday rejected the second appeal for judicial review of Filipino Mary Jane Veloso, who is set to be executed Tuesday after being convicted of drug trafficking.

Edre Olalia, secretary general of the National Union of People's Lawyers, said he received a report from his colleagues that the court has rejected the second appeal.

"I was informed by some of my colleagues reportedly...that the second judicial review has been denied by the court but I need to check it out...on the accuracy of the report," he said in an interview on ANC's Top Story.

He said if the report is accurate, then the political approach or the plea for clemency by Philippine leaders will be the only approach left to save the life of Veloso.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippine embassy in Jakarta has confirmed that the second appeal of Veloso has been rejected.

Jose said that according to Sleman District Court, the second appeal was denied based on a Supreme Court rule that only one appeal is allowed.

He said the embassy is now asking Indonesia if the discussions of President Aquino with Indonesian President Joko Widodo this morning "may open another window."

Veloso was arrested after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin sewn into her suitcase at the Yogyakarta Airport in 2010. Her lawyers and family have said Mary Jane was unaware that the drug stash was in her bag.

Aquino met with Widodo on Monday to appeal the case of Veloso.

The meeting happened past 10 am Monday in a pull-aside meeting during the plenary session of the 26th ASEAN Summit. The meeting lasted around five minutes.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Widodo showed sympathy when Aquino first raised the issue.

“President Aquino appealed for humanitarian consideration for Mary Jane Veloso who was apparently duped into being an unwitting carrier of illegal drugs. He said President Widodo was sympathetic and was consulting with the Indonesian Attorney General on the legal issues. President Widodo promised to resume the conversation with President Aquino later today,” Coloma said.

In a separate press conference, Jose expressed hope the ASEAN connection will somehow provide a leeway for Veloso. “That’s what we are hoping for in the diplomatic approach that we are initiating.”

Veloso may be executed at 5 p.m. on April 28. - with a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

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Why Indonesia raised fuel prices by more than 30 pct

JAKARTA - Indonesia's new president raised subsidized fuel prices by more than 30 percent on Monday, a move that is expected to save the government of Southeast Asia's biggest economy more than $8 billion next year.

President Joko Widodo's first major economic policy decision since taking the helm in October will help provide the necessary fiscal space to fund his reform agenda and tackle the country's twin budget and current account deficits.

"The government has decided to redirect fuel subsidies," Widodo told reporters at the presidential palace. "The country has needed a (larger) budget for infrastructure, healthcare and education but instead spent it on subsidizing fuel."

Indonesian fuel prices, among the cheapest in the world, were raised by 2,000 rupiah ($0.16) per liter, with subsidized gasoline now costing 8,500 rupiah a litre and diesel 7,500 rupiah.

The fuel price hike was welcomed by economists, but immediately sparked small protests and long queues at petrol stations in the capital.

"The move is encouraging since it suggests that (Widodo) is serious about economic reform in Indonesia, and is even prepared to take steps that may prove unpopular in the short run," said Gareth Leather of Capital Economics.

Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said he expected inflation to rise 2 percent to 7.3 percent this year after the fuel price rise, and that the inflationary impact would be felt through February 2015.

Economists said Bank Indonesia may need to raise interest rates as early as this month to tame inflation. "We expect BI to raise 25 bps either this month in an unscheduled meeting or in a monthly policy meeting in December depending on the impact," said Eric Sugandi, economist with Standard Chartered.

Analysts expected the news to support Indonesian stocks and bonds when markets open early Tuesday. The rupiah IDR= was little changed after the announcement, down 0.2 percent at 12,202 per dollar.

Raising fuel prices is a sensitive issue that typically sparks protests and contributed to the downfall of long-serving autocrat and then president Suharto in 1998.

The decision to raise fuel prices was criticised by trade unions and some opposition politicians.

"This is not a wise decision right now," said Bobby Rizaldi, a member of the Golkar party, part of the opposition majority coalition. "Electricity prices have just been raised recently, the currency has been under pressure, and now the inflation will be higher than we anticipated at the beginning of the year."

Officials within Widodo's government have said any money saved from reduced subsidies would be diverted to spending on infrastructure, agriculture, education, and health projects.

Social assistance will also be available to 15.6 million people from Tuesday, Chief Economics Minister Sofyan Djalil told reporters, in a government drive to soften the impact of the fuel price rise on the poor.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com