Overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso is set to return to the Philippines after 14 years on Indonesia's death row, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Nov. 20. This development comes after years of diplomatic efforts and negotiations with the Indonesian government.
"Mary Jane Veloso is coming home," Marcos said in an official statement, expressing gratitude to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian government "for their goodwill."
"This outcome reflects the depth of our nation’s partnership with Indonesia—united in a shared commitment to justice and compassion," he added.
In search of opportunities
In 2009, Veloso, a migrant worker in Dubai, returned to the Philippines after an alleged rape attempt by her employer. She was later recruited by her neighbor, Maria Kristina Sergio, for a domestic job in Malaysia. In 2010, Sergio brought Veloso to Malaysia but claimed the job was no longer available and suggested a short trip to Indonesia instead.
Before the trip, Sergio provided Veloso with new clothes and a bag. Veloso recalled being suspicious about the bag's weight but found nothing unusual after checking its compartments. Upon arrival at Yogyakarta's Adisutjipto International Airport, Indonesian authorities discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin hidden in her bag lining. Veloso was arrested and sentenced to death six months later.
Death penalty, calls for clemency, and PNoy’s intervention
Under the late President Benigno Aquino III, the Philippine government made multiple clemency appeals for Veloso’s case, which were denied by then-Indonesian President Joko Widodo. In 2015, Aquino broke diplomatic protocol and directly called Indonesia’s former foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, to delay the execution and to propose Veloso as a state witness against a large drug syndicate. On the same day, Sergio and her partner Julius Lacanilao surrendered to Philippine authorities and were charged with human trafficking.
Veloso’s execution was postponed just 11 hours before it was scheduled.
“The decision to delay the execution was taken by the President after receiving reports about an ongoing legal process in the Philippines. Because the legal process is still ongoing, we must ensure Mary Jane Veloso deserves justice,” Widodo said, as reported by Rappler in 2015.
Duterte’s non-intervention
After Rodrigo Duterte's election as president in 2016, renewed efforts emerged to save Veloso from death row. However, according to Time magazine, Widodo claimed that Duterte had given his approval for the execution to proceed, stating, “President Duterte at that time conveyed: Please go ahead if she will be executed.”
In response, Philippine presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella clarified that Duterte had actually told Widodo, “Follow your own laws, I will not interfere,” as reported by Rappler on Sept. 12, 2016.
Veloso’s transfer under Marcos
On Nov. 20, 2024, President Marcos announced an agreement with Indonesia to repatriate Veloso under a new policy for transferring foreign detainees. Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega explained in a press briefing that Veloso would remain in detention upon her return.
“When she gets here, she will not immediately be released. It means we will commit to detain her until such time that we, in a mutual agreement [with Indonesia, decide] that she could be given clemency. But at least she would be here,” De Vega stated.
The agreement followed a meeting between Philippine and Indonesian officials. De Vega noted that Indonesia’s new administration aimed to reset bilateral relations. “The new administration of [President] Prabowo wants to open a new chapter in its relations with the Philippines [and] we may even get a transfer. Eventually, the goal would be not just for her to be transferred but for [President Marcos] to be able to issue clemency.”
The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), Veloso’s legal team, welcomed the news but emphasized, “Even as we continue to pray that Mary Jane will really step foot back in our homeland soon, we call on President Marcos Jr. to accord her immediate clemency on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice,” NUPL chairperson Edre Olalia said.
Migrant workers' rights group Migrante International, which has long advocated for Veloso, also called for clemency, describing her as a victim of human trafficking.
