BuCor: Mary Jane Veloso moved to regular dorm after quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — Mary Jane Veloso has been transferred to a regular dormitory at the Correctional Institution for Women following the completion of her mandatory five-day quarantine period.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said in a news release Friday, December 27, that the 48-by-32-foot dormitory, which houses 30 other newly admitted persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), will be Veloso's home for the next 55 days.

During this time, Veloso will undergo mandatory orientation, diagnostics, and classification procedures.

CIW Acting Superintendent Marjorie Ann Sanidad said that the shared living arrangement is designed to foster community support among the women as they begin their rehabilitation journeys.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang explained that this initial phase helps familiarize new PDLs with the facility's rules and regulations, as well as their rights and privileges. 

According to the bureau, Catapang has ordered the translation of Veloso's Indonesian prison records to determine if her time served there can be credited under Philippine jurisdiction. 

Veloso, who spent over a decade in Indonesian custody on drug trafficking charges, was transferred to Philippine custody on December 17 and repatriated back to the country December 18. 

While she and her family have appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for absolute clemency, the president said this remains "far" from being decided and will depend on recommendations from legal experts.

While Indonesia maintains its drug trafficking conviction for Veloso, it has handed full legal and physical custody to the Philippines. The move effectively saved the 39-year-old from execution, as the Philippines has no death penalty.   

Throughout her 14-year detention, Veloso has maintained she was tricked by an international drug syndicate into becoming an unwitting drug mule. She was saved from execution in 2015 through a last-minute intervention by then-President Benigno Aquino III. — Cristina Chi