MANILA – Indonesia did not ask anything in exchange for the return of Mary Jane Veloso, but the Philippines will certainly remember this gesture, according to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
In a Palace press briefing Wednesday, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said the Philippines and Indonesia will iron out the agreement details for the transfer of Veloso.
De Vega said the impending return of Veloso to the country is a testament to the flourishing relations between the Southeast Asian neighbors.
“They have not asked for anything; prisoners exchange, nothing po. They have always been gracious to us, recently they helped us with the Alice Guo case,” De Vega said.
“So, this is a good sign of what we expect under the new presidency in Indonesia, President Prabowo (Subianto) and their friendship with President (Ferdinand) Bongbong Marcos (Jr.),” he added.
“They haven’t asked for anything. But of course, in the future, if they may, then certainly the Philippines will remember this gesture on the part of Indonesia for our Kaababayan,” he added.
Marcos and Prabowo have met twice this year –first when the then Indonesian president-elect visited Manila and then again when Marcos flew to Indonesia to attend the new Indonesian leader’s inauguration.
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Veloso was jailed in 2010 and was sentenced to death in the same year after 2.6 kg. of heroin was found in her suitcase.
She was given a last-minute reprieve in April 2015 when Manila informed their counterparts in Jakarta that her recruiters had surrendered.
For a decade now, the Philippine government has been on an unprecedented efforts to appeal her case.