Gregor Haas, father of NRL star Payne Haas, faces potential execution or life imprisonment in Indonesia for alleged methamphetamine smuggling.

Haas is accused of smuggling methamphetamines hidden in ceramic tiles from Mexico, with alleged ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel.

He is currently detained in the Philippines awaiting extradition to Indonesia.

Haas might be used as a bargaining chip for Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino woman on death row in Indonesia.

The Australian government, which opposes the death penalty, plans to intervene diplomatically on Haas' behalf.

This case mirrors the fate of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were executed in Indonesia in 2015.