MANILA/JAKARTA — A Filipina spared from execution on drug trafficking charges in Indonesia in 2015 will be returned to the Philippines after years of negotiations between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Wednesday.
Mary Jane Veloso, a domestic helper and mother of two, was arrested in the city of Yogyakarta, for carrying 2.6 kilogrammes (5.73 pounds) of heroin hidden in her suitcase in 2010.
Veloso was spared from going before the firing squad at the last minute in 2015 after Philippine officials asked then Indonesian President Joko Widodo to allow her to testify against members of a human and drug-smuggling ring.
The execution of eight other drug convicts went ahead, and at the time Widodo described Veloso's reprieve as a postponement. Widodo's term as president ended last month.
"After over a decade of diplomacy and consultations with the Indonesian government, we managed to delay her execution long enough to reach an agreement to finally bring her back to the Philippines," Marcos said in a statement.
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao hugs Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso during his visit to Wirogunan Prison, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on July 10, 2015. (File photo: Reuters)
"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, thanking Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for his 'goodwill'.
Prabowo's office said on Wednesday that Veloso would serve the rest of her sentence in the Philippines and the reason for the transfer was "diplomacy and reciprocal partnership in law enforcement".
Veloso had always maintained her innocence, claiming to be an unwitting drug mule for a Filipina employment recruiter. She had previously worked as a domestic worker in Dubai, but left to escape an abusive employer, her legal team had said.
A court record says the recruiter asked Veloso to fly to Yogyakarta from Manila to hand over a suitcase to a man. Authorities there discovered packages of heroin wrapped in foil hidden inside the lining of her luggage and arrested her.
Indonesia has harsh anti-narcotics laws and has executed several foreign nationals, including two Australians who were leaders of the Bali Nine trafficking ring in 2015.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, shakes hands with Prabowo Subianto on Feb 17, 2019, in Jakarta, Indonesia. (File photo: Reuters)