Mary Jane Veloso, who spent nearly 15 years in an Indonesian prison on drug trafficking charges, has returned to the Philippines. Her arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City was marked by emotional scenes as her mother, Celia, wept with joy. Veloso landed at 5:51 a.m. on a Cebu Pacific flight from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, signaling the end of a long and painful chapter in her life.
Upon her return, Veloso was taken directly to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. There, she will undergo a mandatory 5-day quarantine followed by a 55-day period for orientation, diagnostic evaluation, and initial security classification. According to BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., Veloso was not restrained during her flight, adhering to international standards for the treatment of prisoners.
Catapang emphasized that Veloso’s family would be able to visit her after her quarantine, in time for the Christmas holidays. He credited the successful repatriation to the concerted efforts of various government agencies led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Veloso was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to death that same year after 2.6 kilograms of heroin were discovered in her luggage. Her execution was postponed in 2015 when her recruiters surrendered to authorities in Manila. At the airport, Celia Veloso pleaded with President Marcos to grant her daughter clemency, arguing that Mary Jane was an innocent victim and that the true owner of the heroin had already been convicted. She expressed hope that her daughter could soon be reunited with the family.
Mary Jane Veloso expressed gratitude to Presidents Marcos and Prabowo of Indonesia, along with everyone who helped facilitate her return to Manila.