Veloso detention transfer to Phl pushed

The Philippine government is working to secure the best possible arrangement for detained overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso, who has been incarcerated in Indonesia since 2010.

According to Eduardo de Vega, undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), discussions are underway for the potential transfer of Veloso to a detention facility in the Philippines.

“We are in talks with the Indonesians and hope that we can reach an arrangement that will best serve the welfare of our kababayan, Mary Jane Veloso,” De Vega told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Last week, Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, and Immigration announced the possibility of allowing foreign prisoners to be transferred to their home countries through bilateral negotiations.

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra revealed the possibility of such transfers, including Veloso’s, in a meeting with Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Gina Alagon Jamoralin.

Yusril emphasized that Indonesia would uphold its legal sovereignty with respect to any prisoners transferred, including foreign nationals like Veloso. He added that the Indonesian government is committed to enforcing the guilty verdicts handed down to foreign prisoners in line with requests from their home countries.