Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr (Bongbong Marcos) broke the news about Indonesia releasing Philippine drug smuggling death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced this news on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, through his official Instagram account, @bongbongmarcos.
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Marcos also expressed his gratitude to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian government for their kind gesture.
“This outcome reflects the depth of partnership between the Philippines and Indonesia, united in a commitment to justice and compassion,” he said.
“Thank you, Indonesia. We look forward to welcoming Mary Jane back home,” Marcos said.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said that the death row inmate for drug smuggling, Mary Jane Veloso, was not released but transferred to her home country, the Philippines, through a transfer of prisoner policy.
Yusril explained that the Indonesian government had received an official request from the Philippine government regarding the transfer of Mary Jane Veloso. The Indonesian government will transfer Mary Jane Veloso if the Philippine government meets their conditions.
Who is Mary Jane Veloso?
Authorities arrested Mary Jane Veloso in 2010 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase. Indonesian authorities sentenced her to death that same year.
Authorities arrested her at Adisutjipto Airport, Yogyakarta, on April 25, 2010. Then, the Sleman District Court sentenced Mary Jane to death in October 2010.
Mary Jane is believed to have violated Article 114 paragraph (2) of Law Number 35 Year 2009 on Narcotics.
Based on this verdict, the authorities added Mary Jane to the list of death row inmates to be executed in April 2015 in Nusakambangan.
The Philippine government presented evidence that Veloso was a victim of human trafficking, so they decided to postpone the execution.
At that time, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) for forgiveness for Mary Jane in 2011. Indonesia also postponed Mary Jane’s death sentence.
Since then, the Philippine government has continued to try to get Veloso’s sentence commuted.
During the 2023 ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, President Marcos again raised the case, asking for a pardon, commutation of punishment, and extradition so that Veloso could serve the rest of her sentence in the Philippines.
In September 2022, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) formally requested Veloso’s clemency. Finally, after years of negotiations, the Indonesian government agreed to Veloso’s transfer to a prison in the Philippines.
