Joselito Malig

Mary Jane Veloso, clad in traditional Indonesian attire, smiles during a program celebrating Kartini Day in honor of Indonesian national heroine and women's rights activist Raden Kartini at Yogyakarta prison on April 23, 2016. AFP photo/Suryo Wibowo/file

Article (news)

Ched Rick Gatchalian

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

<div> </div><p>MANILA (UPDATED) — Filipina death row convict Mary Jane Veloso is returning to the Philippines before Christmas<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/20/mary-jane-veloso-coming-home-to-ph-marcos-jr-829"> after 14 years of imprisonment</a> in Indonesia, an Indonesian official said Friday.</p><p>Indonesian Minister for Human Rights and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said that President Prabowo Subianto himself advised to have Veloso transferred to her country just in time for holidays.</p><p>&quot;That is (a directive) of President Prabowo. I met him two days ago during the cabinet session in the palace, and Mr. Prabowo asked me &#x27;How about Mary Jane?&#x27;  He remembered the name,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;He said to me that &#x27;Maybe you can transfer to the Philippines before Christmas. It&#x27;s a good news for the Filipino people,&quot; Mahendra added.</p><p>The Indonesian official also emphasized that they are not asking for anything in exchange for Veloso&#x27;s transfer.</p><p>&quot;Until now nothing,&quot; he noted. &quot;We voluntarily fulfill that petition from the Philippine government.&quot;</p><p>Mahendra described the progress on Veloso&#x27;s case as &quot;wonderful&quot; after she had been on death row for over a decade already. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/focus/04/04/18/remember-them-troubled-ofws-who-made-headlines">Remember them? Troubled OFWs who made headlines</a></div><p>He said past administrations may have struggled to decide on Veloso&#x27;s case due to &quot;lack of law and legal basis&quot; to return her back to her home country.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s wonderful right? This was already discussed for more than 10 years, finally we can settle this method only around 2 months. President Prabowo is very fast to take decision,&quot; he said.</p><p>Mahendra stated that through continued negotiations between the Indonesian and Philippine government, a practical arrangement for Veloso&#x27;s return was signed Friday afternoon as they met with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.</p><p>With Subianto&#x27;s approval, he said Veloso could be sent home &quot;anytime&quot; before Christmas.</p><div><strong>PRACTICAL AGREEMENT</strong></div><p>Veloso is coming home after the signing of the “practical agreement” between Indonesian and Philippine government officials, the Department of Justice said. </p><p>“We would like to announce na officially, Mary Jane Veloso is coming home,” DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said.</p><p>The DOJ, however, refused to divulge the specific content of the agreement.</p><p>“As to the contents and substance of the practical agreements, we will wait for the President to inform us of the contents and substance of the practical agreement,” Clavano said.</p><p>Celia Veloso, the Filipina migrant&#x27;s mother, recently <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/30/mary-jane-velosos-mother-hopes-shell-be-home-for-christmas-1508">expressed wish to have her daughter spend the Christmas with their family.</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/30/mary-jane-velosos-mother-hopes-shell-be-home-for-christmas-1508"> </a></p><p>&quot;Ang panawagan ko sa gobyerno natin na sana ibigay na ng ating Presidente ang clemency niya at makasama namin sa Pasko si Mary Jane,&quot; she said during a Bonifacio Day protest.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/01/10/24/mother-of-mary-jane-veloso-begs-indonesia-president-to-free-her">Mother of Mary Jane Veloso begs Indonesia president to free her</a></div><p>Celia, along with various concerned sectors, also renewed calls for her Mary Jane&#x27;s clemency.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/22/lawyer-calls-for-mary-jane-veloso-repatriation-before-christmas-1355">Lawyer calls for Mary Jane Veloso repatriation before Christmas</a></div><p>The Indonesian government, which seeks to return its foreign prisoners by the end of 2024, said <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/6/doj-welcomes-indonesia-s-recognition-of-clemency-option-for-mary-jane-veloso-1520">it would respect any decision</a> made by the Marcos administration after Veloso returned home, including granting her clemency.</p><p>Veloso would also be barred from coming back to Indonesia.</p><p>The Filipina death row convict was arrested in 2010 for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. </p><p>She was supposed to be executed in 2015 until the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/01/30/20/mary-jane-velosos-recruiters-convicted-of-large-scale-illegal-recruitment">last-minute arrest of her recruiter</a>, who allegedly stashed the illegal drugs in her bags without her knowledge. - with reports from Wendy Palomo, ABS-CBN News</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/urZImShHMuY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Filipina death row convict Mary Jane Veloso is returning to the Philippines before Christmas after 14 years of imprisonment in Indonesia, a minister said Friday.</p>

Filipina death row convict Mary Jane Veloso is returning to the Philippines before Christmas after 14 years of imprisonment in Indonesia, a minister said Friday.

Mary Jane Veloso coming home before Christmas, Indonesian official says

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Mary Jane Veloso coming home before Christmas, Indonesian official says

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News,

Wendy Palomo

Published Dec 06, 2024 06:05 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 06, 2024 06:37 PM PHT

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