17-12-2024 (JAKARTA) Indonesian authorities have announced plans to transfer Philippine national Mary Jane Veloso to her home country in the early hours of 18 December, marking a crucial turning point in her 14-year incarceration.
Veloso, who was sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking, will be moved from her current detention facility in Jakarta to serve the remainder of her sentence in the Philippines, according to Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Law and Human Rights Affairs, I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram.
The former domestic helper’s case garnered international attention when she narrowly escaped execution in 2015, following intervention from then-Philippine President Benigno Aquino. Her cause was also championed by Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who advocated against her death sentence.
The 38-year-old mother of two was arrested in 2009 at Yogyakarta airport after authorities discovered 2.6 kilogrammes of heroin hidden in her suitcase. Her legal team has consistently maintained that she was unknowingly used as a drug mule by an international trafficking syndicate.
The transfer agreement comes amidst Indonesia’s broader shift in prisoner exchange policies. Just days prior, Indonesian authorities repatriated the remaining members of the infamous Bali Nine drug ring to Australia, though officials emphasise there is no preferential treatment in these transfers.
Speaking at a press briefing, senior government official Ahmad Kaffah revealed that several other nations, including Britain, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, are pursuing similar prisoner transfer arrangements. France has already submitted a request for the repatriation of Serge Atlaoui, another death row inmate convicted on drug charges.
“These transfers operate on the principle of reciprocity,” Kaffah explained. “We anticipate comparable cooperation from partner nations in future cases involving Indonesian citizens.”
The Philippine Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the impending transfer. However, the move is widely seen as a diplomatic breakthrough between the two Southeast Asian nations, potentially setting a precedent for similar cases in the region.
