Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino drug convict on death row in Indonesia, shows a batik design she created during her time at Yogyakarta Women’s Correctional Institution Class IIB in Wonosari, Yogyakarta on December 13, 2024. A Filipina drug convict on death row in Indonesia told Agence France-Presse from prison on December 13 that her planned transfer was a “miracle,” in her first interview since Manila and Jakarta signed an agreement last week to repatriate her. (Photo by DEVI RAHMAN / Agence France-Presse)
MANILA, Philippines — Mary Jane Veloso was transferred to a regular dormitory of the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City after finishing her five-day quarantine, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said Friday.
Veloso, a former overseas Filipino worker who was sentenced to death and spent nearly 15 years in jail over drug trafficking in Indonesia, returned to the Philippines last Dec. 18 following successful diplomatic efforts conducted through the past years.
The Indonesian government approved the transfer of her custody to the Philippines as her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
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Veloso was sent to CIW after she arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last week. At the CIW, authorities had her undergo quarantine for five days.
Now at the CIW Reception and Diagnostic Center’s regular dormitory. BuCor said Veloso would undergo mandatory orientation, diagnostics, and classification. She will stay in that dorm for 55 days.
The regular dormitory, which measures 48×32 feet long, houses 30 newly received persons deprived of liberty, according to CIW Acting Superintendent Marjorie Ann Sanidad.
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BuCor said its chief Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. has ordered the CIW to translate Veloso’s prison records, which are all written in Bahasa Indonesia.
“This translation is crucial for the Bucor as it will enable them to assess whether Veloso’s incarceration in Indonesia can be officially recognized as valid prison time under their jurisdiction,” BuCor explained in a statement.
Veloso was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after 2.6 kilos of heroin were found concealed in her luggage. Veloso told authorities there she did not know that the suitcase carried the illegal drug, insisting that her recruiters merely gave the bag to her.