Indonesia sends Mary Jane Veloso back to the Philippines

The news was confirmed by Filipino government officials.

Through an official release posted on his social media page, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos announced that overseas Filipina worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso is returning to the Philippines, 14 years after she was sentenced to death by an Indonesian court over drug trafficking charges.

“Arrested in 2010 on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to death, Mary Jane’s case has been a long and difficult journey.”

“After over a decade of diplomacy and consultations with the Indonesian government, we managed to delay her execution long enough to reach an agreement to finally bring her back to the Philippines,” Marcos continued.

The President also regarded Veloso as a person who “was held accountable under Indonesian law, she remains a victim of her circumstances.”

He said this after noting Mary Jane’s background as a “mother trapped by the grip of poverty, who made one desperate choice that altered the course of her life.”

PBBM also extended his “heartfelt gratitude” to his Indonesian counterpart, the newly-installed President Prabowo Subianto, and the rest of the government there for their “goodwill.”

“This outcome is a reflection of the depth our nation’s partnership with Indonesia—united in a shared commitment to justice and compassion,” Marcos wrote before sharing that he is looking forward to welcoming Veloso home.

Then 25-year-old Mary Jane Veloso was arrested after she was caught bringing in 2.6 kilograms-worth of illegal drugs, which was wrapped in aluminum foil inside the lining of a suitcase, to Indonesia upon her arrival at Yogyakarta’s airport.

It was later revealed that Veloso had received the suitcase from a person named “Christine” in Kuala Lumpur, where she was also given $500.

In 2014, Veloso was revealed to have been placed on death row after former Indonesian President Joko Widodo , with an execution having been scheduled back in April 2015.

Then-President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino made an unprecedented move when he bypassed protocols to personally contact Indonesian officials.

Aquino requested making Mary Jane Veloso a witness after the one of her recruiters, Maria Kristina Sergio, surrendered to the Philippine police and multiple cases have since been filed against the personality — human trafficking, illegal recruitment, and estafa.

The reprieve was granted, with former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Cabinet Secretary Rene Almemdras breaking the news that Veloso’s life was spared an hour after her supposed execution.

Her transfer back to the Philippines, more than a decade in the making, happens after the recent changes in policies in Indonesia, where it is now preparing to send convicts with similar cases back to their home country.

The Philippines and Indonesia, coincidentally, is also marking the 75th anniversary of its bilateral relations this November 2024.

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