MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Wednesday that a deal has been reached for Indonesia to send home a Filipino death-row drug convict who was nearly executed by firing squad but got a reprieve due to years of pleadings from Manila.
Marcos thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his government for granting a longstanding Philippine request for Mary Jane Veloso to be brought back home to serve her sentence in her country.
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“Mary Jane Veloso is coming home,” Marcos said in a statement. “Arrested in 2010 on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to death, Mary Jane’s case has been a long and difficult journey.”
It was not immediately clear when Veloso would be flown back to the Philippines, but Marcos said he looked forward to welcoming her home.
Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights and Immigration, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, confirmed that Subianto has given his approval for Veloso's return to the Philippines. That may happen in December, as long as conditions were met, including her continued detention in her country as part of the Indonesian court's sentence.
The Philippines should also shoulder the costs of her repatriation, he said.
Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said at a news conference in Manila that Filipino authorities would discuss the legal terms of Veloso's transfer with their Indonesian counterparts.
The Indonesian government has asked the Department of Justice in Manila to formally request Veloso's transfer back to the Philippines, Justice Department spokesperson Mico Clavano said.
The decision, Marcos said, “is a reflection of the depth our nation’s partnership with Indonesia — united in a shared commitment to justice and compassion."
Veloso's transfer would remove the possibility of her facing an execution because the Philippines, Asia’s largest Roman Catholic nation, has long abolished the death penalty.
In 2015, Indonesian authorities moved Veloso to an island prison where she and eight other drug convicts were scheduled to be executed by firing squad despite objections from the convicts' home countries, including Australia, Brazil, France, Ghana and Nigeria.
Indonesia executed the eight other convicts.
Veloso’s case has caused a public outcry in the Philippines, where her family and supporters contend she is innocent and was unaware that 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin was concealed in her suitcase. The drugs were discovered when she entered Indonesia.
Veloso traveled to Indonesia in 2010 where her godsister reportedly told her a job as a domestic worker awaited her. Her godsister also allegedly provided the suitcase where the prohibited drugs were found.
Philippine authorities had filed criminal complaints, including for human trafficking, against illegal Filipino recruiters who arranged for Veloso to work in Indonesia, Clavano said. She added that she would serve as a crucial witness in the trial of the suspects when she returns.
That Philippine case helped convince Indonesian authorities to delay Veloso's execution and eventually consider her transfer back to her country, Clavano said.
Marcos said Veloso’s story resonated with many in the Philippines, as “a mother trapped by the grip of poverty, who made one desperate choice that altered the course of her life."
“While she was held accountable under Indonesian law, she remains a victim of her circumstances," Marcos said.
The Philippines has been a global source of manual labor, including many impoverished women who abandon their families for higher-paying jobs and better opportunities abroad. Alarming abuse, especially of Filipina house helpers, has prompted Philippine authorities to impose restrictions and safeguards but many continue to be exploited.
At least 59 Filipinos around the world face the death penalty mostly for drug and murder convictions, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said.
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Associated Press journalist Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia contributed to this report.