Marcos says Indonesia has agreed to send a Filipino man sentenced to death for drug charges back to the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Wednesday that a deal had been reached with Indonesia to return a Filipino drug convict who was on death row and nearly executed by firing squad, but was granted a reprieve after years of pleading. from manila

Marcos thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his government for granting the Philippines’ long-standing request to bring Mary Jane Veloso home to serve her sentence in her country.

“Mary Jane Veloso is coming home,” Marcos said in a statement. “The case of Mary Jane, who was arrested in 2010 on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to death, has had a long and difficult journey.”

It is not known when Veloso will return to the Philippines, but Marcos said he is looking forward to welcoming her home.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Immigration and Penalties said it was not aware of any deal to release or extradite Veloso to the Philippines.

Evi Loliansi, head of the Yogyakarta Women’s Prison, told The Associated Press that Veloso will remain “under our supervision at the Yogyakarta Correctional Facility until there is a special order to transfer her from the Office of the Supreme Prosecutor.”

Philippine Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Eduardo de Vega said at a press conference in Manila that Philippine authorities would discuss the legal terms of Veloso’s extradition with their Indonesian counterparts. He added that they did not ask for anything and did not specify when she could be repatriated.

The Indonesian government has asked the Department of Justice in Manila to extradite Veloso back to the Philippines, where she is still being held. The Philippines’ justice secretary has sent a letter of request to Indonesia, according to Philippine Justice Department spokesman Mico Clavano.

“This is an example of a detainee being moved from one criminal justice system in one jurisdiction to another,” Clavano said.

The decision, Marcos said, “reflects the depth of our country’s partnership with Indonesia — united by a shared commitment to justice and compassion.”

Details of the deal were not immediately released, but if Veloso’s handover goes through, it would eliminate the possibility of her being executed, as the Philippines, Asia’s largest Catholic nation, long ago abolished the death penalty.

In 2015, the Indonesian authorities moved Veloza to the island prison where she and eight other drug convicts were scheduled to be executed by firing squad despite objections from the convicts’ home countries, including Australia, Brazil, France, Ghana and Nigeria.

Indonesia is executed eight other drug convictions.

Veloso’s case has sparked a public outcry in the Philippines, where her family and supporters say she is innocent and did not know someone had hidden 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin in her suitcase, which was discovered while she was in went to Indonesia.

Philippine authorities have filed criminal charges, including human trafficking, against the illegal Filipino recruiters who employed Veloso in Indonesia, Clavano said, adding that she will be an important witness in the suspects’ trial when she returns.

The case in the Philippines helped convince Indonesian authorities to delay Veloso’s execution and eventually consider her return to the country, Clavano said.

Veloso, a poor housewife, went to Indonesia in 2010, where her god-sister reportedly told her there was a job waiting for her as a domestic worker. Her god-sister also allegedly provided the suitcase where the banned drugs were found.

Marcos said Veloso’s story resonated with many in the Philippines as “a mother who was trapped in poverty and made one desperate choice that changed the course of her life.”

“Although she has been prosecuted under Indonesian law, she remains a victim of her circumstances,” Marcos said.

The Philippines was a global source of manual labor, including many impoverished women who left their families for higher-paying jobs and better opportunities abroad. Disturbing abuseespecially Filipino domestic helpers, has prompted Philippine authorities to introduce restrictions and safeguards, but exploitation continues.

At least 59 Filipinos worldwide face the death penalty, mostly on drug and murder charges, the Foreign Ministry in Manila said.

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Associated Press reporter Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia contributed to this report.