MANILA, Philippines – Mary Jane Veloso, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who has been on death row in Indonesia for more than a decade, will soon be returning to the Philippines. 

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“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,” said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a statement early Wednesday, November 20. 

“Mary Jane Veloso is coming home,” said Marcos, who thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian government “for their goodwill.”

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian government 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,” he added. 

Marcos and Prabowo have met at least twice — once when the Indonesian president visited Manila ahead of his inauguration and then again when Marcos flew to Indonesia to attend the new Indonesian head of state’s oath-taking in person.

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Veloso, now 39, was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death in 2010 for trying to bring 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia. Born to a poor family in Nueva Ecija, Veloso worked in Dubai as a domestic helper before flying to Indonesia in early 2010 for a job that apparently no longer existed.

In Kuala Lumpur, Veloso was asked by her godsister — identified as Christine or Cristina — to fly to Yogyakarta. She was given a new suitcase to use and $500. It was in Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto Airport where she was arrested because heroin wrapped in aluminum foil had apparently been hidden inside the lining of her suitcase. 

“Mary Jane’s story resonates with many: a mother trapped by the grip of poverty, who made one desperate choice that altered the course of her life. While she was held accountable under Indonesian law, she remains a victim of her circumstances,” said Marcos. 

Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, in a text message, said Indonesia did not ask for anything in return in agreeing to send Veloso home. 

“We had long been asking Indonesia for a favorable formula for [Veloso], including possible return to the Philippines. The new admin[istration] of Indonesia showed its willingness and spoke to our ambassador about the possibility of transfer,” he added. 

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Veloso made headlines and grabbed national attention in early 2015 when then-Indonesian president Joko Widodo, Prabowo’s predecessor, rejected a batch of clemency appeals that included Veloso’s. 

What followed were dramatic and unprecedented efforts by the Philippine government, then led by the late Benigno Aquino III, to save Veloso. The day before her scheduled execution, Aquino himself phoned former Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi to make a last-minute appeal — turn Veloso into a state witness who could testify on a larger drug trafficking syndicate. (READ: Aquino ‘broke protocol’ to save Mary Jane Veloso)

Veloso’s execution was postponed, just 11 hours before she was scheduled to be shot by firing squad.

De Vega said the final details of Veloso’s homecoming are still being discussed. The diplomat, however, was hoping for Veloso to come home before year’s end. “Personally, I hope by Christmas,” he added. – Rappler.com