New patron of arts

Convicted drug mule Mary Jane Veloso, who had been nearly executed by firing squad in 2015, was finally freed from prison in Indonesia.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

Intending to work as a domestic helper, Veloso instead got arrested after a huge amount of 2.6 kilos of heroin was discovered by Indonesian authorities in her luggage upon arrival in Yogyakarta airport. Illegal drug possession is a capital offense in Indonesia.

After two administrations, Veloso came back home on Dec. 18 following an agreement between the governments of Indonesia and the Philippines. Although saved from death row in Indonesia, Veloso's repatriation back to the Philippines was not a free pass for her illegal drugs conviction. From her arrival at the airport, she was directly taken to the Women's Correction facility in Mandaluyong City.

Veloso's fate now lies in the hands of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (PBBM), whether he will grant her executive clemency based on jail time she served in the Indonesian jail.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government has been working for the extradition of former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. Classified as a fugitive, Teves has been staying in Timor Leste to escape prosecution from several criminal cases filed against him in Philippine courts, one of which was his alleged masterminding the assassination of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo in March 2023.

In June this year, Timor-Leste authorities granted the Philippine government's extradition request for the expelled lawmaker. This was, however, initially thwarted by the battery of lawyers of Teves, led by his legal counsel here in the Philippines, Ferdinand Topacio. In September this year, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Crispin Remulla announced that the Philippine request for the extradition of Teves needed to "undergo new proceedings" in Timor Leste.