Veloso in ''emotional'' return, asks Marcos for clemency
After 14 years in Indonesia where she was on death row after 2.6 kilos of heroin was found in her luggage, Mary Jane Veloso returned to the Philippines Wednesday morning where she will serve the remainder of her sentence in the Correctional Institute for Women.
She was met by her family at the Correctional Institute for one hour in what a justice department official described as an ''emotional, very tearful'' reunion. She hugged and kissed her two sons who brought her flowers.
The 39-year-old Veloso told reporters that she has only one wish and that is for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to grant her clemency.
''My request is for the President to hopefully grant clemency so I can be with my family,'' she said. ''I was imprisoned in Indonesia for something which I did not do.''
Veloso left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 6:24 am and her parents turned emotional when they were unable to get close to her. Veloso's lawyer told them this was for their daughter's protection.
Veloso, who was arrested in 2010, was sentenced to death by firing squad in 2014 but President Benigno Aquino Jr appealed to stop her execution in April 2015.
In October, capping years of negotiations, Indonesia agreed to allow Veloso to spend the rest of her sentence in a Philippine jail.
According to Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, Veloso said she would now be treated as an ordinary person deprived of liberty (PDL) under Philippine laws.
“This is the transfer of a person deprived of liberty, the transfer of a sentenced person from Indonesia to us. This is not an ordinary homecoming of an OFW. She was an OFW. Unfortunately, she was convicted by the proper courts in Indonesia. And based on the agreement that we signed in Indonesia, we have to respect their decision,” Vasquez said.
“That is the essence actually of the agreement. It’s nothing different from the treaty of a transfer of a sentenced person so that she would serve her sentence here based on the decision of the Indonesian courts,” he said.
Vasquez said that the government is still considering various factors before it would decide if it would grant clemency to Veloso.
“All of this will be carefully studied and thoroughly examined by our government. But definitely, that’s on the table. And President Bongbong Marcos said that it’s on the table,” Vasquez said
Veloso will first go through mandatory quarantine, orientation and diagnostic evaluation.
Marcos thanked the Indonesian government and assured Filipinos of Veloso’s safe transfer.
“We assure the Filipino people that Ms. Veloso's safety and welfare is paramount and our agencies in the justice and law enforcement sector shall continue to ensure it, as our Indonesian counterparts have safeguarded it for so long,” Marcos said in a statement.
In a separate statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also thanked the Indonesian government for its “sincere and decisive action” to bring Veloso home before Christmas, calling this move a significant achievement in the diplomatic ties between the two countries. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
