After years on death row, will Mary Jane Veloso be freed upon her return to Philippines?

Veloso, who was sentenced to death in Indonesia in 2010, is set to fly to Manila on Wednesday as her supporters fight to see her freed

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Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso gestures as she leaves Yogyakarta Women’s Prison for her transfer to the capital city of Jakarta in preparation for her repatriation to the Philippines, in Gunung Kidul, Indonesia on Sunday, December 15. Photo: AP

Published: 3:36pm, 17 Dec 2024Updated: 4:00pm, 17 Dec 2024

After spending nearly 15 years on death row in Indonesia, Mary Jane Veloso is set to fly to Manila tomorrow, returning to her homeland of the Philippines just in time for Christmas.

However, it remains unclear whether she will be transferred to a Philippine prison upon her return or receive clemency, which her legal team and many supporters are fighting for.

A tearful Veloso thanked the Indonesian press and the public as she was escorted out of the Yogyakarta Women’s Prison on Sunday. She was moved to a prison in Jakarta pending her transfer, Indonesia’s Ministry of Immigration and Corrections confirmed at a press conference.

Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, an immigrations and corrections official, said that Veloso would be flown back to the Philippines on Wednesday, and would arrive in Manila in the evening.

Filipino death-row drug convict Mary Jane Veloso poses for a photo alongside a Christmas tree during a holiday event at the Yogyakarta Women’s Prison on December 10. Photo: AP

A “practical arrangement” was signed between officials of both countries on December 6 that made the repatriation possible, according to Indonesia’s senior law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra.