MANILA, Philippines — Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino woman who faced nearly 15 years of incarceration in Indonesia for drug trafficking, expressed her relief upon returning to the Philippines. After narrowly escaping execution by firing squad in 2015, she is now seeking clemency from the Philippine president to reunite with her family permanently.
Veloso’s lengthy imprisonment took a turn when she was granted a reprieve that allows her to complete her sentence in the Philippines. This development gives her the opportunity to testify about how a criminal organization tricked her into becoming an unwitting drug courier.
“What matters most is to receive clemency so I can be with my family,” Veloso shared with reporters at a prison facility where she was taken following her arrival in Manila. The emotional reunion with her family highlighted the toll her absence had taken, as she confessed through tears, “I have been imprisoned for fifteen years in Indonesia for a crime that I did not commit.” Her two sons embraced her as she spoke, with her arm resting lovingly around her mother.
Her transfer to the Philippines has eliminated the threat of execution since the country abolished the death penalty years ago. Veloso was moved from a female prison in Yogyakarta to Jakarta before being flown back to Manila on Tuesday night, following a prisoner transfer agreement established between the two nations in December.
The homecoming was met with joyous celebration from relatives and supporters, including her sons, who were very young when she was detained in 2010. A large banner that read “Welcome home Mary Jane” was carried by family members and friends holding bouquets.
“We express our deepest gratitude to the government of Indonesia and all those who helped ensure the welfare of Ms. Mary Jane Veloso,” said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a statement. The Philippine government pledged to look after Veloso’s safety and well-being as she serves her sentence in her homeland. However, there has been no mention of a decision regarding her clemency request from the presidential palace. Earlier, officials indicated that no determination had been made regarding the family’s appeal.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo termed Veloso’s transfer a significant success in the bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Philippines, highlighting the mutual trust and friendship between the countries.
Upon leaving the Pondok Bambu female prison, Veloso was overwhelmed with emotional gratitude, thanking Indonesia. She mentioned bringing back various tokens from her time in prison, including gifts from fellow inmates such as a guitar, books, knitted items, and rosaries.
Mary Jane Veloso, who is approaching her 40th birthday, was arrested in 2010 at an airport in Yogyakarta for attempting to smuggle approximately 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin in her luggage. Accused of being a drug mule, this single mother became a focal point of public controversy in the Philippines after allegedly being misled by a recruiter promising her a job as a domestic worker.
Though sentenced to death, her execution was postponed in 2015 when her recruiter was apprehended in the Philippines merely two days prior to the planned execution of Veloso and eight other drug offenders from various countries, despite protests from their nations of origin.
Indonesia has some of the strictest anti-drug laws globally, yet it remains a significant route for drug trafficking aimed at the youth in the region, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The last execution carried out in Indonesia occurred in July 2016, and as of last month, around 530 individuals were still on death row, the majority convicted of drug-related offenses, including 96 foreigners. Recently, five Australians who had been imprisoned for drug trafficking for nearly 20 years were also repatriated to Australia under a negotiated agreement between their governments.