Mary Jane Veloso to return to Philippines after 14-year imprisonment in Indonesia

BACK IN 2010, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso was arrested in Indonesia. She was convicted of drug trafficking after being caught carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin in Yogyakarta.

She was then given the death penalty despite pleading innocence – saying that she was only a victim of human trafficking.

Initially, she started working as an OFW to give her children a better life. As per her lawyer Agus Salim, she had gone to Dubai to work as a domestic helper, but returned to Manila before the end of her contract because she was allegedly almost raped.

Later on, she was offered another job by her friend, Maria Kristina Sergio, as a domestic helper in Kuala Lumpur, but upon arriving there, she was told that the job was no longer available.

Maria Kristina then gave her an empty suitcase and USD 500; Mary Jane noted that while the suitcase felt heavy, it was empty when given to her.

Upon passing through the airport in Yogyakarta, however, authorities found packs of heroin in the lining of the suitcase.

Sentenced to death

After being arrested, Agus said that Mary Jane was not given a lawyer nor a translator while being interrogated. During her trial, she was assigned a court-provided interpreter, one not licensed by the Association of Indonesian Translators.

Aside from this, the court proceedings were translated to English, not Filipino, which Mary Jane was not fluent in. She was also given a public defender, not a lawyer.

Following her case, Mary Jane was sentenced to undergo the death penalty.

Later on, the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta attempted to file an appeal for Mary Jane; they did so at the Court of Appeals of Yogyakarta, and then later on, her lawyer filed a Memorandum of Appeal at the Supreme Court of Jakarta.

Both would make the decision to uphold her sentence.

In 2011, former President Benigno Aquino III attempted a request for clemency for Mary Jane. This is defined by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) as a process undergone to reduce a defendant’s sentence or to grant a pardon.

This is often done with people on death row as a means of sparing one’s life.

In 2014, the request for clemency on behalf of Mary Jane was denied.

Mary Jane was transferred to the island of Nusa Kumbangan. At the same time, Maria Kristina would turn herself into the police, being charged with illegal recruitment, human trafficking, and fraud. Alongside her was her partner, Julius Lacanilao.

Aquino then made a last minute plea to the Indonesian government to, once again, attempt to save her life.

Following this was the suspension of Mary Jane’s execution, a mere 11 hours before she was to be shot by a firing squad.

Now, after 14 long years, Mary Jane is finally coming home.

Back to the PH

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has announced that, following over a decade of diplomacy and consultations, Mary Jane will be coming home following an agreement made with Indonesian authorities.

He gave his thanks to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, as well as the Indonesian government, for their goodwill and partnership with the country to reach justice and compassion.

With regard to Mary Jane’s story, he said: “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.”

This follows after the decision of Indonesia to consider the option of prisoner transfer for foreign inmates in line with constructive diplomacy.

The Philippine government hopes to get Mary Jane home to the Philippines by Christmas, though this is not yet set in stone.

It can be noted however, as per Department of Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, that legal custody of Mary Jane will continue to lie with Indonesia even after her transfer. Physical custody of Mary Jane will be in the Philippines.

At present, it is still unsure where she will be placed for detainment following her return.

Source: republicasiamedia.com, Gaby Agbulos, November 20, 2024

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