Mary Jane Veloso already in Jakarta to prepare repatriation, mom says

Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso has already been transferred to Jakarta, Indonesia to start the process of her repatriation to the Philippines after 14 long years, her mother said Monday.

According to Celia Veloso, her daughter was brought from Yogjakarta to a Jakarta facility on Sunday. This was the reason why their family’s trip to Indonesia supposedly to visit Mary Jane was canceled.

“Kahapon pa po nasa Jakarta na. Kanina nga po nag-simba kami... ‘Yun lang po ang alam namin—pinunta na po sa Jakarta, aayusin lang ‘yung mga papeles na kailangan at alam ko po na makakauwi na ang aking anak kaya hihintayin na lang po namin dito,” Celia said in an interview with GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita.

(She was already transferred to Jakarta yesterday. Our family also went to church... That's all we know—she was brought to Jakarta to fix the necessary documents. I know that my daughter will be able to go home soon, so we'll just wait here.)

Veloso's family, her lawyer, and some government officials were set to travel to Indonesia on Sunday, December 15, to visit her ahead of her transfer to the Philippines.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said the trip was canceled because there would no longer be any jail visit since Veloso was being transferred from Yogjakarta to Jakarta for her repatriation.

Despite this, Celia said that her whole family is happy because Mary Jane is already set to go home, hopefully before Christmas.

“Malakas ang pakiramdam namin at kaming lahat buong pamilya ay talagang ‘yun ang inaasahan namin, na makakasama naming nitong mag-Pasko si Mary Jane,” she said.

(We have a strong feeling and all of us in the family are really hoping that Mary Jane will be with us this Christmas.)

Mary Jane Veloso could be transferred to the Philippines around December 20, based on a report by Agence France Presse.

Convicted of drug trafficking in 2010, Veloso has been on death row in Indonesia for over a decade.

Because the Philippines has no death penalty, it is up to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos whether to give her pardon or to commute her sentence to life in prison.

The camp of Veloso has appealed to Marcos to grant her clemency following an agreement that would allow her to return to the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News