SEAToday.com, Jakarta - Death row inmate for drug smuggling, Mary Jane Veloso, was transferred from Yogyakarta Class IIB Women's Correctional Institution (Lapas) to Class IIA Pondok Bambu Women's Correctional Institution, Jakarta, before being repatriated to her home country, the Philippines.

“The pick-up of inmate Mary Jane Veloso went safely and conducively,” said Deputy Coordinator for Immigration and Corrections, Coordinating Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections, I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram in a written statement received by Indonesia Window here on Monday.

Surya explained that Mary Jane left for Jakarta by land on Sunday (15/12) night. The pick-up officer arrived at the Yogyakarta Class IIB Women's Correctional Facility at 22.30 WIB, to then carry out administrative checks and hand over Mary Jane's files.

Mary Jane entered the car of the Satopspatnal Team of the Directorate General of Corrections (Ditjen PAS) at 22.50 WIB. Then, at exactly 23.00 WIB, the pick-up team car and Mary Jane departed for the Jakarta Class IIA Women's Prison followed by a car from the Gunung Kidul Prosecutor's Office.

Mary Jane's transfer is a follow-up to the signing of a practical agreement between the Indonesian government represented by Coordinating Minister for Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Philippine Deputy Minister of Justice Raul T, Vasquez in Jakarta, last Friday ( 12/6).

During a press conference after the signing of the practical arrangement, Yusril said that Mary Jane would be transferred to the Philippines before Christmas 2024. However, Yusril has not revealed the exact date of the transfer.

“God willing, it will be done before Christmas on December 25,” Yusril said at the time.

According to Yusril, the Philippine government has agreed to all the conditions proposed by the Indonesian government in the draft arrangement for Mary Jane's transfer.

Meanwhile, Philippine Deputy Justice Secretary Raul T. Vasquez, expressed his gratitude to the Indonesian government and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on behalf of the people and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the transfer of Mary Jane Veloso to her hometown.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the generosity of the Government of Indonesia and the President of Indonesia for facilitating the transfer of a convict, our citizen, Mary Jane Veloso,” Raul said on the same occasion.

Mary Jane Veloso is a death row inmate for smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin who was arrested at Yogyakarta Adisutjipto Airport in April 2010. The woman, who was later discovered to be a victim of human trafficking, was sentenced to death by the Sleman Court in October 2010.