Jakarta – Death row convict in a drug smuggling case, Mary Jane Veloso, has officially been repatriated to the Philippines after spending 14 years in prison in Indonesia. Mary Jane’s departure from the Class II A Pondok Bambu Women’s Correctional Institution (LPP) to Soekarno-Hatta Airport took place on the evening of Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
Likewise, the five drug-related prisoners who are part of the Bali Nine group have been repatriated to Australia on Sunday, December 15, 2024. The Indonesian government also hopes for reciprocity from the Philippines and Australia.
“Please remember that the principle I emphasized earlier is the risk of reciprocity.” “So with the transfer of prisoners, in turn, the same treatment will be given by the respective country to us,” said the Special Staff for International Relations at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Ahmad Usmarwi Kaffah, at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections Building, Kuningan, South Jakarta, Monday (12/16/2024).
So what are the reciprocations from the Philippines and Australia for Indonesia?
Until now, neither of the two countries has officially addressed the issue of reciprocity regarding what the Indonesian government has done. Both the Philippines and Australia only expressed their gratitude for the transfer of death row inmate in the drug smuggling case, Mary Jane Veloso, to her home country.
However, according to Al Jazeera’s report, the agreement regarding Mary Jane’s transfer includes a reciprocal provision. If Indonesia requests similar assistance in the future, the Philippines will fulfill that request.
There is intense media speculation that Indonesia will request the detention rights of Gregor Johann Haas, an Australian citizen who was detained in the Philippines this year on drug charges. He is being pursued by the Indonesian government for drug smuggling, which could carry the death penalty. So far, there has been no confirmation of that speculation.
Meanwhile, in an official statement from the Philippines, Senate President Francis Escudero has called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to tally the number of Filipinos imprisoned abroad and explore agreements on prisoner swaps for the possibility of serving their sentences in the Philippines.
Escudero conveyed his request in a message to reporters on Wednesday, (12/18/2024), following the arrival of Mary Jane Veloso, who was sentenced to death in Indonesia.
“I hope Mary Jane’s repatriation is just the first of many Filipino citizens in the same situation around the world,” said Escudero as quoted by inquirer.net.
Escudero noted that this proves President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. truly cares about Filipino citizens abroad. This then prompted him to emphasize that Veloso’s case should serve as a warning to the government, to focus on the suffering of Filipino citizens in similar situations.
“Therefore, we must ask the DFA – as I am requesting now – to inventory and calculate the number of Filipinos imprisoned in foreign countries,” said Escudero.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto “for his kindness” in repatriating Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj, also known as the Bali Nine.
International Relations observer from Paramadina University, Shiska Prabawaningtyas Paramadina, believes that the return of Mary Jane and Bali Nine is reciprocal because this agreement is based on a direct request from their home countries and Indonesia is in a trade-off position.
“So for me, there will definitely be a reciprocal action because this is a direct request.” The form is not Indonesia’s initiative to return it, but the process involves a request. So the assumption is that when the request is accepted, since it’s a request, there must be something, right?” he said.
However, if Indonesia is not in a trade-off position, it will create a good image for Indonesia as a pro-Human Rights country.”(For example) if Indonesia takes the first step, it might actually create a good image for Indonesia that we can reconsider the death penalty,” he concluded.
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