Daily Tribune
Whole again Mary Jane Veloso (center) is reunited with her sons (back right) and parents (left) after she arrived at the Correctional Institution for Women in Manila. Veloso spent nearly 15 years on Indonesia’s death row, She landed in Manila on 18 December where she was taken to a local prison following a repatriation deal years in the making.
Ted ALJIBE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. disclosed Monday that they are computing the years Mary Jane Veloso spent in an Indonesian jail to determine if she would qualify for parole.
Catapang said they are awaiting the transcript of documents related to Veloso’s release from the Indonesian authorities.
“It has been 14 years in prison for Veloso and we are in the process of computing her incarceration along with her good conduct time allowance (GCTA) to see if she is eligible for parole,” Catapang said.
He said they would need to carefully examine the transcript since it was written in Indonesian and would require translation. “When we flew to Indonesia, the document given to us was a Xerox copy, so we requested an authenticated copy before translating it,” Catapang explained.
However, he assured that they are expediting the process and that there may be a result before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term.
To recall, Veloso recently returned to the Philippines after spending 14 years on Indonesia’s death row on charges she attempted to smuggle drugs into that country.
President Marcos announced her transfer last year, expressing gratitude to the Indonesian government for facilitating Veloso’s return to the Philippines.
“We take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the Indonesian government and to all who have extended assistance for the welfare of Ms. Mary Jane Veloso,” the President had said.
Veloso was turned over to Philippine officials on the evening of 17 December and arrived in the country early on 18 December accompanied by representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Corrections.
The President said Veloso’s transfer was made possible through the strong friendship and cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia.
Mr. Marcos also assured that the government would ensure Veloso’s safety and welfare as she continues to serve her sentence in the country. Her transfer to Philippine custody spared her from execution, as the death penalty is not enforced in the country.
Veloso is in the custody of the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, awaiting the outcome of pleas from several groups and her family for her parole.
