Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. Behind the walls of Yogyakarta Women’s Prison, Mary Jane Veloso, a Philippine national once destined for execution, has found a second chance. She now spends her days teaching fellow inmates the art of batik-making, a surprising turn for a mother who has endured 14 years on death row.

“Mary Jane has become a mentor, guiding others in learning to create batik,” said Evi Loliancy, the head of the prison, on Friday. “She’s become a better person.”

Indonesia will return Veloso to the Philippines so she can serve the remaining sentence in her homeland, Filipino President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced Wednesday.

The now-39-year-old woman was arrested in 2010 for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia, she was sentenced to death under the country’s strict drug laws. In 2015, she came close to the firing squad, with a coffin and cross prepared for her execution.

However, hours before Veloso was to be executed alongside eight other inmates, she received a last-minute reprieve. The Philippine government appealed on her behalf, on the ground of new evidence that her recruiter, Maria Kristine Sergio, had tricked her into carrying the drugs. Sergio later surrendered to authorities in the Philippines.

Her execution was stopped so Veloso could testify against Sergio, exposing a global network of human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Despite dodging the bullet, Veloso’s fate remains uncertain today. Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights Ministry in Yogyakarta has yet to receive formal instructions regarding her potential transfer to the Philippines, where her death sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment.

“We are waiting for official correspondence. Until then, she will remain here, participating in rehabilitation programs,” said Sambiyo, head of Correctional Guidance at the ministry’s regional office.

Veloso’s story has touched hearts across the Philippines, where she is seen as a victim of circumstance. Marcos Jr. described her as “a mother trapped by the grip of poverty, who made one desperate choice that altered the course of her life.”

Marcos Jr. also thanked the newly installed President Prabowo Subianto, whom he had met on multiple occasions so far this year. 

Indonesia’s top legal affairs minister, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has suggested that Veloso’s sentence could be reduced if she is repatriated. If completed, Veloso’s transfer would set a precedent, as she would be the first foreign death row inmate to be repatriated from Indonesia. All costs associated with the transfer will be borne by the Philippine government.

For now, she remains in Yogyakarta, teaching batik and embracing a role that provides meaning and purpose.

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