Mary Jane Veloso, who was sentenced to death in a foreign country, will be flying back to the Philippines on Wednesday.
On Monday, Indonesian Deputy Minister for Law and Human Rights Affairs Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram confirmed Veloso’s forthcoming departure this week, on December 18, in a press conference.
Veloso was already transferred to the Jakarta Women’s Penitentiary from the Yogyakarta province on Sunday, in preparation for her repatriation. From there, she will be put on a commercial flight back to the Philippines.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials will be heading to Jakarta on Monday evening to iron out the details of the transfer arrangement.
Earlier, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega disclosed that the Philippines will cover all costs for the repatriation.
The possibility of Veloso’s repatriation emerged with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s ascent to power, which President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. welcomed as it would spare Veloso from execution.
For Veloso, being set on her way back home has been a “miracle.” After all, she had been due for execution by firing squad, when the recruiters who had allegedly loaded illegal drugs into her luggage were seized and she was called on to testify. Her death sentence deferred indefinitely, she has since been detained in Indonesia for nearly 15 years.
