DFA eyes Mary Jane Veloso's repatriation this week

Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso is seen to be transferred to the Philippines in the next few days after being detained in Indonesia for 14 years, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said that personnel from the DFA, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are set to go to Jakarta this evening for the processing of Veloso’s turnover.

“Ang tingin namin anytime this week, may tiyansa na makakauwi na siya, pero depende ‘yan sa usapan namin mamayang gabi o bukas,” he said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview.

(We think that anytime this week, there is a chance that she will be able to come home, but that depends on our discussion tonight or tomorrow.)

Mary Jane’s mother Celia said Monday morning that her daughter has already been transferred to a facility in Jakarta, Indonesia to start the process of her repatriation to the Philippines.

Veloso's family, her lawyer, and some government officials were supposed to travel to Indonesia on Sunday, December 15, to visit her ahead of her transfer to the Philippines. However, the trip was canceled because there would no longer be any jail visit since Veloso was being transferred to Jakarta from Yogyakarta.

“Gagawan ng announcement mamaya ang Indonesia, hintayin natin, i-confirm na nasa Jakarta na siya today. Tapos in the next few days, malaki iyong tiyansa na mauuwi na siya,” De Vega said.

(Indonesia will make an announcement later, let's wait for it, confirming that she is already in Jakarta. Then in the next few days, there is a good chance that she will already come home.)

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

Clemency

But 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.

OFW party-list lawmaker Marissa Magsino on Monday joined the call for the grant of presidential pardon to Veloso who is expected to arrive in the Philippines before Christmas.

“This is a long-overdue victory for Mary Jane Veloso and her family. Her return marks an important step toward justice, but we hope coming home would mean being back in the embrace of her family, and not just a transfer from one prison to another,” Magsino, author of House Resolution 2139 seeking clemency for Veloso, said.

“Mary Jane’s story is a stark reminder of the dangers our OFWs face in their pursuit of a better life. By seeking a pardon, President Marcos can help restore her dignity and show the world that the Philippines stands firmly in protecting its citizens abroad,” Magsino added.

Opposition lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc earlier filed a similar a resolution urging President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. to grant clemency to Veloso.

“A pardon would not only end the lingering shadow of her conviction, but also reaffirm our commitment to fighting for justice for every OFW,” Magsino said.

“We cannot allow another Mary Jane Veloso to happen. Her case should push us to do more in protecting our OFWs from trafficking and exploitation,” she added. — with Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA Integrated News