Filipina death-row inmate in Indonesia arrives in Manila

Manila, Dec 18 (IANS) Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina inmate on death row in Indonesia, returned to the Philippine capital on Wednesday morning, after years of negotiations between the two Southeast Asian countries.

The 39-year-old female had stayed in jail in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for almost 15 years since she was arrested in 2010 after being found with 2.6 kilograms of heroin concealed in her suitcase at an airport.

The mother of two, who left the Philippines for working abroad, denied the drug trafficking charges, and insisted that she was duped into carrying the illicit drugs. She was nearly executed by firing squad in 2015 but won a last-minute reprieve.

According to the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs, Indonesian authorities turned Veloso into the custody of Philippine officials on Tuesday evening, paving the way for her return to the Philippines.

The Philippines thanked the Indonesian government for repatriating Veloso after more than a decade of negotiations.

"This is a significant achievement for the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Indonesia, a mark of the trust and friendship between our two countries," said Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Veloso was transported to a women's correctional jail after she arrived in Manila.

The Philippines has long abolished the death penalty, removing the possibility of her execution.

Last month, Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos had revealed that Indonesia has agreed to repatriate the convicted Filipino woman.

Marcos had said that Mary Jane Veloso will soon return to the Philippines after 14 years of languishing in Indonesian jail, and that she will remain in prison in the Philippines.

Manila had consistently appealed to Jakarta for Veloso's pardon, commutation of sentence and extradition, so she could serve her sentence in the Philippines, Xinhua news agency reported.

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