Mary Jane Veloso, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who spent 14 years in jail in Indonesia, is set to return to the Philippines in the early hours of December 18, as confirmed by Indonesian authorities.
Philippine officials, led by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday morning to oversee the turnover process.
The Philippine officials departed Manila on Monday night at around 9:15 pm and arrived at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport shortly past midnight on Tuesday as reported on Unang Balita.
De Vega confirmed the next steps for Veloso’s transfer. “We will have a meeting with the delegation because the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) is also here. Tonight will be our meeting with the Indonesians for the turnover,” he said in mix of Filipino and English.
The DFA executive added that the official turnover is expected to take place at the airport itself without further disclosing other details.
The Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights announced in a press conference on Monday that Veloso would depart Jakarta late Tuesday night.
Preparations for her return began a day prior when she was moved from her detention facility in Yogyakarta to a prison in Jakarta, over 400 kilometers away.
Welcoming this development, Malacañang reiterated its commitment to honor the conditions outlined in the prisoner-transfer agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia.
“Duty-bound as we are to honor the conditions for her transfer to Philippine jurisdiction, we are truly elated to welcome Mary Jane back to her homeland and family, from whom she has been distanced for too long,” said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in a statement on Monday.
Veloso has been in prison for over 14 years after she was convicted of drug trafficking. She was arrested in 2010 when authorities discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin hidden in the lining of her suitcase.
Malacañang expressed that Veloso’s return to the Philippines is a “fruit of more than a decade of persistent discussions, consultations and diplomacy.”
