Mary Jane Veloso, a conv!cted overseas Filipino worker (OFW), will return to the Philippines soon after more than 10 years of Philippine diplomacy with the Indonesian Government and consultations. This was announced by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday.
“After more than a decade’s worth of diplomacy with the Indonesian Government, we were able to delay her ex3cution for long enough to come to an agreement that would finally bring her to the Philippines,” said President Marcos on his social media account.
President Marcos thanked the Indonesian government and President Prabowo for their goodwill.
He said that this shows the strengthening of the partnership between the Philippines, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The President also noted that both nations share a commitment to just!ce and compassion.
“I express my sincere gratitude to President Prabowo and the Indonesian Government for their goodwill. This result is a reflection [of] the depth of our nation’s partnership, united in a shared commitment for justice and compassion,” said President Marcos.
“Thank you, Indonesia. “We look forward to welcoming Mary Jane back home,” he said.
During the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, in May 2023 the President Marcos stressed that the Philippine government has consistently appealed for Veloso to be pardoned, her sentence commutated, and her extradition, so she can serve out her sentence in the Philippines.
Veloso, who was arrested in 2010 on charges of drvg trafficking, has been held in Indonesia since 2010.
“Mary Jane’s story resonates for many: a mother caught in the grip of poverty who made a desperate choice that changed the course of her own life. “While she was held responsible under Indonesian law she remains a v!ctims of her circumstances,” said President Marcos.
The Department of Foreign Affairs officially requested clemency on September 6, 2022. In 2010, she was arrested in Yogyakarta after being found with a suitcase that contained over 2.6 kilograms hero!n. In the same year, she was sentenced to d!e.
