MANILA - 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, reported Xinhua.
The 39-year-old had stayed in jail in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for almost 15 years since she was arrested in 2010 after being found with 2.6 kilogrammes of heroin concealed in her suitcase at an airport.
The mother of two, who left the Philippines to work abroad, denied the drug trafficking charges, and insisted that she was duped into carrying the illicit drugs.
She was nearly executed by a 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. - BERNAMA-XINHUA