Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino domestic worker who is facing drug charges in Indonesia, was set to be executed in April 2015. But the last-minute reprieve granted to her by former Indonesian president Joko Widodo saved her life.
And now, 14 years after her arrest in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, Veloso is finally coming home to the Philippines.
That proves how diplomacy works, as President Marcos said.
"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 on Wednesday morning, Nov. 20.
The story behind
In April 2010, Veloso came to Malaysia after being recruited in the Philippines to work as a domestic worker. Upon her arrival in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, she was told that the job was no longer available, and was offered the same domestic work in Indonesia instead.
Veloso stayed at a Malaysian hotel as she waited for her flight bound for Indonesia. With few clothes on hand, Veloso was given by her recruiter, Maria Kristina Sergio, new clothes to wear and a suitcase.
In the same month, Veloso arrived in Indonesia. But authorities there were already alerted about the unusual object inside her luggage, which eventually led to the discovery of heroin inside her suitcase and her arrest.
In October 2010, Veloso was found guilty as charged as the court ruled that she could not prove her unawareness of the matter. She was then sentenced to death.
But due to then former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's moratorium on the death penalty, her execution was delayed. It was only after the election of succeeding president Joko Widodo when the capital punishment was reinstated.
In April 2015, Veloso wrote a letter addressed to former president Benigno Aquino III to spare her life. She also wrote a letter to her recruiters, asking them to surrender otherwise they would have a guilty conscience for the rest of their lives.
That eventually led to her recruiters' surrender in the same month, which prompted Aquino to break diplomatic protocols by personally appealing to former Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to save Veloso's life.
Veloso's reprieve came in the last minute that some Philippine newspapers were not able to pull out from print of her execution.
Diplomatic efforts
Veloso's case was taken into discussion again during the early days of President Marcos' presidency, particularly when he flew to Indonesia for a state visit—his first foreign trip as the president.
During Marcos' trip, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo asked his Indonesian counterpart to grant Veloso a clemency, proving Manila's efforts to spare her life.
That came following a meeting between Philippine Ambassador to Jakarta Gina Alagon Jamoralin and Coordinating Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra.
On Wednesday, President Marcos confirmed that "is coming home."
"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, as he expressed his gratitude to President Prabowo and the Indonesian government for the goodwill.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega also said that the Indonesian government did not ask anything in return for Veloso's transfer.
"And the very fact that Miss Veloso is still alive this very day is a tribute to the work that our government has been doing for over a decade, but also to the warm ties of friendship and cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia, and we are very grateful for this," De Vega said.
What's next?
Upon her arrival in the Philippines, Veloso will still be detained since the Indonesian government still has its legal jurisdiction over her case, according to De Vega. The Philippine government only has legal custody over her.
However, the DFA is hoping that Veloso would be granted clemency for her eventual freedom. While detained, Veloso will not serve as the subject of the prosecution, but as witness in the charges filed against her recruiters in a Philippine court.
"There are two options: we will request, while she's here, for the official release from detention, from the Indonesian Criminal Procedure system, or another one [or] they will allow our President to issue the clemency on the basis that she's been here," he said.
De Vega said that the Philippine government is respecting Indonesia's jurisdiction over Veloso's case and is grateful that it has allowed her transfer to the Philippine prison; but it is going to be "a bonus" if Jakarta will allow President Marcos to issue the clemency.
"The goal would be not just for to be transferred, but for the President to be able to issue clemency," he said.