PREVIEW

Filipina Mary Jane Veloso Returns Home After 15 Years on Death Row in Indonesia. Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina woman who spent nearly 15 years on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, has finally returned to the Philippines, BBC News reports. Veloso was sentenced to death in 2010 after 2.6kg of heroin was found sewn into her bag at Yogyakarta airport. The 39-year-old mother of two has consistently claimed she was tricked into carrying the drugs, saying she was recruited under false pretenses to work as a maid. In 2015, Veloso narrowly escaped execution by firing squad after then-Philippine President Benigno Aquino III secured a last-minute reprieve. Veloso was allowed to fly back to Manila after a deal between the Philippine and Indonesian governments. She remains a prisoner and is now detained at a women’s prison in Metro Manila. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos could potentially grant Veloso a reprieve, giving her a chance to reunite with her family for Christmas. Veloso’s case highlighted human trafficking after her alleged recruiter was arrested and put on trial. She was named as a key prosecution witness. Her plight resonated with many Filipinas working abroad to escape poverty, as she represented the dangers faced by overseas workers. Veloso received widespread public sympathy in the Philippines, where the death penalty is not practiced, and her case became a rallying point against capital punishment. “I have a new beginning in the Philippines,” Veloso said, expressing joy at the chance to spend Christmas with her family after years of uncertainty.
Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT