The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) justified the decision not to have Mary Jane Veloso wear handcuffs during her return to the Philippines on the morning of December 18.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. stated that this decision aligns with the rules of general application under the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which were adopted by the First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders.
He further stated that any restraint or restriction on the movements of an arrested individual is not necessary if it is not required.
Moreover, this is also based on the Bangkok Rules, or the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders, which ensure the dignity of women and protect their rights.
The statement follows the decision not to handcuff Veloso during her return to the Philippines, as there was no intention on her part to escape or harm herself.
Early Wednesday morning, Veloso returned to the Philippines after spending 14 years imprisoned in Indonesia on drug trafficking charges.
Upon arriving in the country, she was immediately transported to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW).
Veloso reunited with her family at the detention facility in Mandaluyong City, where she was warmly embraced by her parents and other relatives.
In 2010, she was arrested by Indonesian authorities in Yogyakarta after 2.6 kilograms of heroin were found in her suitcase, which led to her being placed on death row.
