Mary Jane coming home tomorrow

MANILA, Philippines — Filipina death row convict Mary Jane Veloso is set to return to the Philippines tomorrow, Dec. 18, after the government signed an agreement with Indonesia to repatriate her.

Veloso was transferred on Sunday to the Indonesian capital Jakarta from a women’s prison in Yogyakarta province.

From there, she will be flown back to the Philippines early Wednesday morning, Indonesia’s Deputy Coordinator of Immigration and Corrections Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram confirmed.

Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said personnel from the DFA, Bureau of Corrections and the National Bureau of Investigation were set to arrive in Jakarta last night for the processing of Veloso’s turnover.

He added the Philippines would shoulder all costs for Veloso’s repatriation.

In a statement on Sunday, Veloso’s family said the DFA canceled their visit to their daughter in Yogyakarta due to her transfer to another facility for the processing of her return to the Philippines.

“We’ve not let the family go to Indonesia so they can welcome her here in the country,” de Vega explained.

“Indonesia will make an announcement. Let us wait for their confirmation of her transfer to Jakarta, then in the next few days, there’s a higher chance that she will be repatriated,” he added.

Veloso was arrested in 2010 for smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia and sentenced to death under the country’s tough anti-drug laws. Her execution was dramatically halted just hours before she was to face the firing squad, following an appeal from the Philippine government and the surrender of a recruiter whom Veloso accused of planting drugs in her luggage.

Malacañang called Veloso’s homecoming a “fruit of more than a decade of persistent discussions, consultations and diplomacy.”

“With much appreciation and gratefulness to the Republic of Indonesia, we confirm the imminent return of our kababayan, Mary Jane Veloso,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement yesterday.

“Duty-bound as we are to honor the conditions for her transfer to Philippine jurisdiction, we are truly elated to welcome Mary Jane back to her homeland and family, from whom she has been distanced for too long,” he added.

OFW party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino welcomed yesterday the scheduled return of Veloso.

“This is a long-overdue victory for Mary Jane Veloso and her family. Her return marks an important step toward justice, but we hope coming home would mean being back in the embrace of her family and not just a transfer from one prison to another,” Magsino said.

In line with this, Magsino filed yesterday House Resolution 2139 urging President Marcos to grant a presidential pardon to Veloso. She emphasized that Veloso’s case highlights the exploitation faced by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and there is an urgent need for government intervention to address such injustices.

“Mary Jane’s story is a stark reminder of the dangers our OFWs face in their pursuit of a better life. By seeking a pardon, President Marcos can help restore her dignity and show the world that the Philippines stands firmly in protecting its citizens abroad,” Magsino said.

Magsino said Veloso’s homecoming was made possible by the adoption of the Indonesian government of its new policy allowing the transfer of custody over foreign prisoners to their countries of nationality.

While technically under the new policy, Indonesia will retain legal custody while the country will have physical custody over Veloso’s person.

President Marcos has worked out a deal where he will have the discretion to grant a presidential pardon to Veloso once she is transferred to a Philippine prison and the Indonesian government will respect such decision. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Alexis Romero