Philippines, Indonesia agree on repatriation of Mary Jane Veloso on death row

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Manila and Jakarta signed an agreement Friday to repatriate Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina on death row for drug charges in Indonesia since 2015, with officials saying she could return to the Philippines before Christmas.

The announcement came following the Philippines' Department of Justice undersecretary Raul Vasquez meeting with Indonesia's senior law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra in Jakarta Friday, where both ministers signed the agreement.

Following the signing, Indonesian authorities will discuss further details with the Philippines' embassy in Jakarta on Veloso's transfer, Yusril said.

"We agree to return the person concerned to the Philippines and furthermore the obligation to provide guidance to prisoner Mary Jane Veloso becomes the responsibility of the Philippine government," Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Friday.

He added that they are hoping the transfer "will be carried out before Christmas, 25 December".

Yusril also said Indonesia will respect the Philippines' government decision if Manila decide to grant clemency to Veloso.

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 carrying a suitcase lined with 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin and later sentenced to death.

She was due to face the firing squad in 2015 but the Philippine government won a last-minute reprieve for her after a woman suspected of recruiting her was arrested and put on trial for human trafficking in which Veloso was named as a prosecution witness.

The mother-of-two's case sparked an uproar in the Philippines, with her family and supporters saying she was innocent and had been set up by an international drug syndicate.

Vasquez on Friday expressed the Philippine government's "heartfelt gratitude" for Jakarta over Veloso's transfer, adding that Manila respected the Indonesian court's decision on her case.

"We do understand and we respect the decision of the Indonesian courts with respect to the sentence that was meted on our citizen Mary Jane Veloso," he said.

"Once transferred to the country, she will serve her sentence in accordance, as agreed upon, in accordance with Philippine laws and regulations with respect to the Penal Code."

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