A Filipina death row inmate is prepared to leave Indonesia and begin a new life

A woman from the Philippines who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Indonesia said on Tuesday she was ready to begin a new life as she prepared to go home after the two nations reached an agreement for her repatriation.

Mary Jane Veloso, who earned a last-minute reprieve from execution by firing squad in 2015, was expected to depart Indonesia in the early hours of Wednesday on a flight to Manila after years of negotiations between the Southeast Asian countries.

Veloso thanked God, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in tears for allowing her to return home at last.

Speaking in Bahasa, the primary language of Indonesia, Veloso, 39, told reporters at Jakarta’s main airport just before her planned departure, “This is my new life which I’ll start again in the Philippines.”

“I’ve lived in Indonesia for nearly 15 years; at first, I couldn’t speak Indonesian, but now I can… I am really delighted today but also sad,” she remarked.

Veloso concluded her remarks by singing a few lines of Indonesia’s national anthem and forming a heart with her hands before bidding farewell.

The former domestic servant and mother of two was arrested in the city of Yogyakarta in 2010 after being caught with 2.6 kg (5.73 lbs.) of heroin concealed in a bag. Despite her claim that she was an unintentional drug mule, she was found guilty and given the death penalty.

At the airport, representatives from Indonesia and the Philippines governments signed a document transfer to commemorate the official handover.

In the Philippines, Veloso’s case generated a lot of outrage. She was spared execution in 2015 at the last moment after Philippine officials petitioned Joko Widodo, then Indonesia’s president, to let her testify against members of a human- and drug-smuggling organization.

Earlier this month, the two governments signed an agreement for Veloso’s transfer, which stipulated that Manila would honor Veloso’s sentence and her status as an Indonesian prisoner.

According to the Philippines, Veloso will serve out the remainder of her sentence in her own country, and Marcos will decide whether to grant her pardon.
Indonesia declared that it would honor any decision made by the Philippines, including the pardon granted to Veloso.

Veloso will not be allowed to enter Indonesia again, according to Jakarta.
The five surviving “Bali Nine” drug ring members were returned to Australia from Indonesia on Sunday.