Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina woman who spent nearly 15 years imprisoned in Indonesia for alleged drug trafficking, finally returned home on Wednesday morning.
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) announced Veloso's arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City at around 5:51 am. Her flight, Cebu Pacific 5J 760, departed Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta at 12:05 am, marking "the end of a harrowing chapter of Veloso's life," according to BuCor.
Upon arrival, Veloso was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. She will undergo a mandatory 5-day quarantine followed by a 55-day orientation, diagnostic evaluation, and initial security classification.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. assured Veloso's family that she was treated humanely during the transfer. He cited international regulations prohibiting unnecessary restraints on prisoners. Catapang also confirmed that Veloso's family will be allowed to visit her after the quarantine period, potentially in time for Christmas.
Veloso's case garnered international attention. She was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to death that same year after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase. Veloso maintained her innocence, claiming she was tricked into carrying the drugs. She received a last-minute reprieve in 2015 when the Philippines informed Indonesia that her recruiters had been apprehended.
At the NAIA arrival area, Veloso's mother, Celia, expressed her gratitude for her daughter's return and pleaded with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to grant Mary Jane clemency. "It's enough that she spent almost 15 years in prison for a crime she didn't commit. The real owner of the drugs has already been convicted," Celia said. "I hope they will grant clemency and pardon to Mary Jane so we can finally be together again."
Veloso previously expressed thanks to President Marcos, Indonesian President Prabowo, and everyone who facilitated her transfer.
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