Mary Jane Veloso, upon completing her mandatory five-day quarantine, has been relocated to a standard dormitory within the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, as confirmed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday. The transfer occurred on December 26, following her arrival at the facility on December 18, 2024.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. stated that Veloso will spend the next 55 days at the RDC, participating in an orientation program that includes diagnostics and classification processes to facilitate her integration into the prison system. This initial phase is crucial for new inmates to understand the facility’s rules, their rights, and the available privileges.
The orientation will also familiarize Veloso with various rehabilitation programs, health services, time allowance policies, and grievance procedures offered to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs). CIW acting superintendent CT/Supt. Marjorie Ann Sanidad noted that Veloso is housed in a 48 by 32 feet dormitory with 30 other new inmates, promoting a community atmosphere and mutual support essential for their rehabilitation journey.
In a related move, Catapang has ordered the translation of Veloso’s Indonesian prison records from Bahasa to English. This translation is necessary to assess whether her time served in Indonesia can be recognized under Philippine law, potentially affecting her sentence.
Veloso was originally sentenced to death in Indonesia in 2010 for drug trafficking but received a last-minute stay of execution in April 2015 after her recruiters surrendered to authorities in Manila. She was handed over to Philippine officials on December 17 and returned to the Philippines the following day.