The Philippines and Indonesia have reached a deal to return a Filipina who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking following years of diplomatic efforts by Manila, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced.
Marcos said on Wednesday that former death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso would be brought home after a “long and difficult journey”.
“This outcome is a reflection of the depth of our nation’s partnership with Indonesia – united in a shared commitment to justice and compassion,” Marcos said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear when Veloso would return to the Philippines, but Marcos said he looked forward to welcoming her home.
Veloso, a domestic helper, was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 for attempting to smuggle 2.6kg of heroin concealed in a suitcase.
The 39-year-old mother of two maintained her innocence, saying she had been duped into carrying drugs by a recruiter.
In 2015, she won a last-minute reprieve from execution after her recruiter turned herself in to police and then-Philippine President Benigno Aquino III proposed to Indonesian officials that she be turned into a witness in a case against a drug trafficking syndicate.
Veloso’s case had long been a source of outrage in the Philippines, where her supporters argued that she was a victim of exploitation.
“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,” Marcos said. “While she was held accountable under Indonesian law, she remains a victim of her circumstances.”
Indonesia has severe penalties for drug trafficking and has executed foreign nationals in the past, including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, two members of the Bali Nine smuggling ring, in 2015.
