By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In an announcement on his social media page earlier today, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. announced that convicted overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso will soon return to the country after more than a decade of Philippine diplomacy and consultations with the Indonesian government.
“After over a decade of diplomacy and consultations with the Indonesian government, we managed to delay her execution long enough to reach an agreement to finally bring her back to the Philippines,” President Marcos said.
President Marcos expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian government for their goodwill, reflecting the strong partnership between the Philippines and Indonesia and the two nations’ shared commitment to justice and compassion.
“Thank you, Indonesia. We look forward to welcoming Mary Jane home,” he added.
During the 42nd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Indonesia in May 2023, the Chief Executive emphasized that the Philippine government had consistently appealed to Indonesia for Veloso’s pardon, commutation of sentence, and extradition so she could serve the rest of her sentence in the Philippines.
Veloso has been detained in Indonesia since 2010 after being arrested on drug trafficking charges.
“Mary Jane’s story resonates with many: 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,” the Chief Executive explains.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) formally requested clemency for Veloso on September 6, 2022. She was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after she was found carrying a suitcase containing over 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was sentenced to death in the same year.
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