Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who spent nearly 15 years on death row in Indonesia, has returned home after a repatriation agreement between the two countries, Al Jazeera reports.
Veloso, 39, landed at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport early Wednesday morning, escaping the imminent threat of execution by firing squad. The Philippines abolished the death penalty years ago.
Veloso was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to death after 2.6 kilograms of heroin were found concealed in a suitcase she was carrying. She maintained her innocence, claiming she was a victim of human trafficking, duped into carrying the drugs by a recruiter, Maria Kristina Sergio.
The mother of two was flown home on a commercial flight, accompanied by Filipino correctional officials, following a ceremony in Jakarta marking the “end of a harrowing chapter in Veloso’s life,” according to a statement from the Philippine Bureau of Corrections. While greeted by heavy security upon arrival, she was unable to meet with the dozens of family members and supporters chanting for her release who had gathered at the airport. However, prison guards later allowed her family a reunion inside the prison compound.
Veloso’s case sparked widespread outrage in the Philippines. She became a symbol of the plight of millions of Filipinos working abroad, often in vulnerable situations due to poverty. President Marcos Jr. recently described her story as “a mother trapped by the grip of poverty.”
A crucial turning point came in 2015 when Veloso received a last-minute stay of execution after Sergio was arrested in the Philippines. Veloso was then named a prosecution witness in Sergio’s human trafficking trial.
While the repatriation agreement eliminates the immediate threat of execution, Veloso will now serve a life sentence in a Philippine women’s prison. While President Marcos expressed gratitude to Indonesia for the handover, he didn’t comment on the possibility of a pardon or clemency. Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez stated that Veloso’s application for clemency would receive serious consideration.
The agreement includes a “reciprocity” clause, meaning the Philippines will assist Indonesia with similar requests in the future. Speculation has arisen that this could involve Gregor Johann Haas, an Australian detained in the Philippines on drug charges and also sought by Indonesian authorities.
Indonesia holds some 530 people on death row, mostly for drug offenses, including 96 foreigners. The country’s last executions were carried out in July 2016.
