By Wilnard Bacelonia | Philippine News Agency
Mary Jane Veloso has been transferred to a regular dormitory at the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said Friday.
In a news release, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said Veloso’s transfer was implemented after her five-day quarantine period ended Thursday.
Veloso will remain at the RDC for the next 55 days, during which she will undergo mandatory orientation, diagnostics, and classification to integrate into the corrections system.
Catapang said this initial phase is designed to help new persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) become familiar with the facility’s rules, regulations, and their rights and privileges.
The orientation program will also introduce Veloso to various rehabilitation initiatives, health services, time allowance policies, and grievance mechanisms available to PDLs.
CT/Supt. Marjorie Ann Sanidad, CIW acting superintendent, said Veloso has been placed in a regular dormitory measuring 48 by 32 feet, along with 30 other newly admitted PDLs.
“This arrangement fosters a sense of community and emphasizes the importance of shared experiences and mutual support as the women begin their journeys toward reform and rehabilitation,” Sanidad said.
In a related development, Catapang directed the CIW to translate Veloso’s prison records from Indonesia, originally documented in Bahasa.
The translation will enable BuCor to determine whether Veloso’s time served in Indonesia can be officially credited as part of her sentence under Philippine jurisdiction.
Veloso was jailed and sentenced to death in Indonesia in 2010. She was given a last-minute reprieve in April 2015 when Manila informed Jakarta that her recruiters had surrendered.
She was turned over to Philippine officials on Dec. 17, and returned to the country on Dec. 18.