Filipina death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso is set to return to the Philippines on Wednesday, December 18, after spending 14 years in an Indonesian prison, officials confirmed on Monday.
Indonesia’s Deputy Coordinator of Immigration and Corrections, Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, announced the development during a press briefing. Veloso, who was sentenced to death in 2010 for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage, was recently transferred from a Yogyakarta prison to a facility in Jakarta over the weekend.
The transfer signals preparations for Veloso’s repatriation to the Philippines, a move facilitated by Philippine authorities. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are expected to finalize arrangements in Jakarta on December 16.
The Philippine government, which will cover all costs for Veloso’s return, opted not to send her family to Indonesia. Instead, they will welcome her upon arrival, according to DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega.
The transfer follows diplomatic discussions between the two countries, particularly after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto assumed office. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hailed the arrangement, emphasizing that Veloso would be spared from execution as the Philippines does not enforce capital punishment.
Veloso described her transfer as a “miracle.” In 2015, she narrowly escaped execution after her recruiters, who allegedly planted the illegal drugs in her luggage, were apprehended shortly before her scheduled execution.
