MARY Jane Veloso, who spent nearly 15 years on Indonesia’s death row, tearfully reunited with family members Wednesday after arriving in Manila, where she now awaits a hoped-for pardon in a women’s prison.
Veloso, a mother of two, landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at daybreak, then was immediately transferred to prison following a repatriation deal between the two countries over a decade in the making.
Technically still serving a life sentence, how long she remains behind bars is now in the hands of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
REUNION Mary Jane Veloso finally gets to be with sons Daniel and Darren upon her arrival at the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong City on Dec. 18, 2024. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The 39-year-old was arrested and sentenced to death in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kilograms of heroin, a case that sparked uproar in the Philippines.
Veloso wept as she hugged one of her sons and her parents Wednesday inside the Correctional Institution for Women in Manila, where she is being detained under the terms of a transfer agreement with Indonesia that removed the possibility of execution.
She flew home without handcuffs alongside Filipino correctional officials on an overnight commercial flight after a Jakarta ceremony marking “the end of a harrowing chapter in Veloso’s life,” the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said in a statement.
“I hope our president will give me clemency so I can go back to my family. I had been in jail in Indonesia for 15 years over something I did not commit,” Veloso, her voice breaking, told reporters from within the barbed-wire confines of the prison after undergoing a medical examination there.
“We call on our president to grant Mary Jane clemency soon. We hope he will do this as a Christmas gift to us,” her mother Celia Veloso added.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., who led the team that fetched Veloso from Indonesia, said she was not restrained during her flight.
“Veloso did not require handcuffs as she had no intention of fleeing or harming herself,” Catapang explained. “Instead of chains, she deserves roses.”
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wait for their daughter Mary Jane to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Dec. 18, 2024. Veloso was in jail in Indonesia for 15 years for drug trafficking and was sentenced to death had it not been for the intervention of the Philippine government, which presented new evidence to prove the innocence of the Filipino worker. From the airport, Veloso was escorted by police and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong where she met her sons Daniel and Darren. She was allowed to go home in 2024,on the condition that she would serve out her sentence in the Philippines equivalent to the death penalty in Indonesia since Manila does not mete out capital punishment. PHOTO BY MIKE DE JUAN
Veloso’s reunion with her family after her arrival was deeply emotional. “The meeting was tearful,” Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said, highlighting the significance of their first interaction in 14 years.
Veloso’s family stayed with her until noon before she was transported to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong.
In a Wednesday statement, Marcos thanked Indonesia for turning over custody but made no mention of a pardon or clemency.
Marcos assured the public that the government would ensure Veloso’s safety.
“We assure the Filipino people that Ms. Veloso’s safety and welfare is paramount, and our agencies in the justice and law enforcement sector shall continue to ensure it, as our Indonesian counterparts have safeguarded it for so long,” he added.
Under the agreement, Veloso’s life sentence now falls under the Philippines’ purview, “including the authority to grant clemency, remission, amnesty and similar measures.”
“Definitely, that’s on the table,” Vasquez told reporters on Wednesday, adding Veloso’s clemency bid would be “seriously studied.”
She will serve out her life sentence if not pardoned, Vasquez added.
Indonesia’s government has said it will respect any decision made by Manila.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the turnover of Veloso to the Philippines was a “significant achievement” in the bilateral relations between Manila and Jakarta.
Indonesia’s move was “a mark of the trust and friendship between our two nations,” Manalo said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Allow me to thank the government of Indonesia for its sincere and decisive action, which allowed Mary Jane Veloso to be home before Christmas,” he said.
“We would, therefore, like to take this moment to reiterate our sincerest thanks to the Indonesian government for this humanitarian action,” Manalo said. “Their generosity has made this momentous day of Ms. Veloso’s return to the Philippines possible.”
Reciprocity’ provision
After her scheduled 2015 execution by firing squad was stayed at the last minute, Veloso became a poster child for her country’s 10 million-strong economic diaspora, many of whom take jobs as domestic workers abroad to escape poverty at home.
Marcos said last month that Veloso’s tale resonated in the Philippines as “a mother trapped by the grip of poverty, who made one desperate choice that altered the course of her life.”
The reprieve was granted after a woman suspected of recruiting her was arrested on human trafficking charges, and Veloso was named as a prosecution witness.
Security at NAIA was tight, with Veloso’s family requesting heightened measures due to threats linked to the illegal recruiters who allegedly set her up. One of these recruiters, part of a larger syndicate, is also detained at the CIW.
The Veloso deal includes a “reciprocity” provision.
“If Indonesia requests similar assistance in the future, the Philippines shall fulfill such a request,” the agreement states.
There has been intense press speculation that Jakarta would seek custody of Gregor Johann Haas, an Australian detained on drug charges in the Philippines, earlier this year.
He is also being sought by Jakarta over drug smuggling, which could land him the death penalty.
Vasquez said Wednesday that Haas’ transfer was “not on the table,” but that were it requested, Indonesia’s decision to transfer Veloso would “be considered with great weight.”
Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws and has executed foreigners in the past, but new President Prabowo Subianto has agreed to fulfill some requests to hand back prisoners.
Indonesia last week transferred home the five remaining members of Australia’s “Bali Nine,” a group of drug-trafficking convicts, two of whom were executed.
It is also in talks with France over the release of Serge Atlaoui, jailed in the archipelago nation since his 2005 arrest.
Miracle
Before leaving Jakarta, Veloso sang the Indonesian national anthem and proclaimed her love for the country, though she is now banned from ever returning.
“This is a new life for me, and I will have a new beginning in the Philippines,” a tearful Veloso told reporters.
“I have to go home because I have a family there, I have my children waiting for me,” she said, adding she wanted to spend Christmas with them.
“I am very happy today, but to be honest, I am a little sad because Indonesia has been my second family,” Veloso added.
In her first interview since the repatriation agreement, Veloso told Agence France-Presse on Friday that her release was a “miracle.”
According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, 96 foreigners were on death row, all on drug charges, as of early November.
Veloso’s health was another focal point upon her return. She had reportedly been feeling unwell before leaving Jakarta, experiencing vomiting during the journey. She will undergo a five-day quarantine at CIW for medical assessments, followed by a 55-day orientation, diagnostic evaluation and security classification.
The DOJ has assured the public of Veloso’s safety and well-being.
“She is our ward and our responsibility,” Vasquez said. “We will treat her fairly and equally, as we do with all persons deprived of liberty.”
The DOJ confirmed that clemency is a possibility.
“The president has absolute authority to grant executive clemency, and Veloso’s case is under consideration,” Vasquez said in a media briefing following the arrival of Veloso.
Veloso’s future hinges on multiple pathways for her release. Apart from executive clemency, she may qualify for sentence reduction under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
According to Catapang, a BuCor board will study how the law applies to her case, although translations of her Indonesian documents remain pending.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said under the Constitution, the president ”has the power to grant pardon.”
The senator said Indonesia turned over to the Philippines the legal jurisdiction over Veloso. ”She is now under our legal system,” Pimentel said in a chance interview.
”So, whatever is the power of the president under the Constitution, he can exercise,” Pimentel added.
Sen. Joel Villanueva said the ”successful negotiations for the return” of Veloso served as a ”testament not only to strong diplomatic relations but also to the government’s unwavering commitment to prioritizing the welfare of our overseas Filipino workers.
Senate President Francis Escudero expressed hope that the repatriation of Veloso is just the beginning for many Filipinos facing similar situations in various parts of the world.
“This demonstrates that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration are sincerely committed to supporting our overseas Filipino workers who are far from their families and familiar environments. We must ensure they feel fully supported and protected whenever they need assistance,” he said. “However, this should also serve as a wake-up call for all of us to pay attention to the plight of similarly situated Filipinos. This should be the primary responsibility of not only our Department of Migrant Workers but also all embassies and consulates abroad.”
House lawmakers welcomed Veloso’s return from Indonesia, noting that her return is a “source of immense joy” not only to her family but to all Filipinos, while also calling on President Marcos to grant her executive clemency.
Be the first to comment