Christmas reunion seen for Mary Jane, family

MANILA, Philippines — Mary Jane Veloso, the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was convicted and imprisoned in 2010 in Indonesia for drug trafficking, is expected to be reunited with her family in December.

OFW party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino visited Veloso’s mother, Celia, to relay the good news.

“The thought of having her home fills me with hope,” Celia said during their meeting, noting that her daughter remained in good spirit despite her ordeal.

Celia also expressed gratitude for Indonesia’s humane treatment of her daughter over the years.

“Mary Jane calls us every month to share updates, though we cannot call her. She is the youngest of my five children and has two kids of her own, aged 22 and 16, who live with me. While I had accepted the possibility of her staying in Indonesia, this news brings renewed hope,” she said.

Magsino highlighted the OFW party-list’s reintegration program in partnership with the Department of Migrant Workers which provides livelihood support, scholarships, medical assistance and insurance.

“We will stand by Mary Jane and her family every step of the way,” Magsino said.

Veloso’s case has become a symbol of resilience in the fight against human trafficking.

President Marcos has confirmed that Veloso will be returning to the country after years of “long and difficult” negotiations with Indonesia.

On the other hand, casino junket operator Hector Aldwin Pantollana is expected to arrive in the Philippines today, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said.

Pantollana, who allegedly took P4 billion worth of investments in an investment scam, was arrested at the Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Nov. 9 while attempting to board a flight to Hong Kong.

Wanted in the Philippines for multiple cases of syndicated estafa and swindling, Pantollana is included in the International Criminal Police Organization’s red notice list.

The Philippine government secured custody of Pantollana through a prisoner swap with Indonesia.

In return for Pantollana’s custody, Torre said they turned over Handoyo Salman, an Indonesian national who allegedly amassed 900 billion rupees or about P3.3 billion in online scams, to their counterparts in Indonesia.

Salman was apprehended at Central One Bataan PH Inc., a business process outsourcing firm which was raided on Oct. 31 following reports that it was an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator hub. –  Emmanuel Tupas