DOJ confirms talks on prisoner transfers for Filipinos abroad

The Department of Justice confirmed Thursday that the Philippine government is discussing possible prisoner transfer arrangements involving Filipinos detained abroad, but declined to disclose details due to confidentiality.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said some Filipinos overseas are facing serious criminal cases that could result in lengthy prison terms or the death penalty.

“Mas confidential yan. Hindi ko masasabi kung ilan. Hindi ko makakabigay ng detalye. Pero makakonfirm ko lang na meron. May mga ganun mga Filipino na ganun kalagayan,” Ty said when asked how many Filipinos could be covered by the discussions.

Ty was responding to a question on whether the government was negotiating arrangements similar to the agreement that allowed Mary Jane Veloso to return to the Philippines.

He confirmed that such cases exist but said negotiations remain confidential.

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 after authorities found 2.5 kilograms of heroin in her luggage.

She was sentenced to death but received a last-minute reprieve from execution in 2015.

Veloso was transferred to the Philippines in December 2024 under an agreement between Manila and Jakarta after more than a decade in detention in Indonesia.