THE Philippines will not make any announcement related to the case of death row convict Mary Jane Veloso, at the moment, at least until everything has been settled, President Marcos jr. said yesterday.
Veloso has been in jail in Indonesia since 2010 after airport authorities found over 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase. Her execution was postponed in 2015, and last month, the President said Veloso may return to the country by Christmas time after Indonesia agreed to turn her over to the Philippines.
Details about Veloso’s transfer to the Philippines are still being finalized.
“We were asked by the Indonesian government not to make any announcements until everything is settled. So, let’s respect that request,” the President said in an ambush interview in Bulacan when asked if Veloso would be able to return to the country for Christmas.
Last Friday, Indonesia’s senior minister for law and human rights affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Philippine Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez signed an agreement in Jakarta for Veloso’s repatriation.
“As instructed by President Prabowo (Subianto), if possible, we could resolve this case before Christmas,” Yusril said, adding that Veloso could be transferred before Christmas, likely around December 20.
Yusril also said the Philippines agreed on several terms proposed by Indonesia, including respecting the Indonesian court’s sentencing of Veloso and her status as prisoner in Indonesia.
Indonesia would respect any decision made by the Philippines, including if she was given clemency.
She will be banned from returning to Indonesia, Yusril added.
Vasquez yesterday said the Philippine Embassy and the Indonesian Corrections and Immigration Office “are busy crafting the details for the transfer” of Veloso.
“Once the transfer arrangements, the physical arrangements have been agreed upon, we, on the other hand, are ready to catch her. And it wouldn’t be a problem because all three agencies attached to the Department of Justice (Bureau of Immigration, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Corrections) can easily be coordinated,” he said.
Malacañang has said the good relationship between Manila and Jakarta under former Indonesian President Joko Widodo had carried over to incumbent President Prabowo Subianto, which paved the way to the planned transfer of Veloso to the Philippines.
Veloso was spared from execution after Philippine officials asked Widodo to let her testify against members of a human and drug smuggling ring.
She had always maintained her innocence, saying she was an unwitting drug mule for a Philippine employment recruiter. – With Raymond Africa and Reuters
