BuCor transfers Mary Jane Veloso to regular dorm as her quarantine ends | ABS-CBN

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BuCor transfers Mary Jane Veloso to regular dorm as her quarantine ends

BuCor transfers Mary Jane Veloso to regular dorm as her quarantine ends

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Mary Jane Veloso undergoes booking procedure at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong on December 18, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/FILE Mary Jane Veloso undergoes booking procedure at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong on December 18, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/FILE 


MANILA — Former overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso has been transferred to a regular dormitory at the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, the Bureau of Corrections said Friday.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said Veloso will be staying at the RDC for the next 55 days as she goes through mandatory orientation, diagnostics, and classification.

Catapang said this phase familiarizes new persons deprived of liberty (PDL) like Veloso with the rules and regulations in the correctional facility, as well as PDLs' rights and privileges in custody.

“The orientation will also provide vital information regarding various rehabilitation programs, health services, time allowances, and grievance mechanisms accessible to individuals under custody,” BuCor said in a statement.

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Veloso was first housed in a regular Quarantine Cell for medical observation during her quarantine period to check for any disability as well as for any physical or mental illness.

After her 55-day orientation and diagnostic evaluation, BuCor will transfer her to an assigned corrections facility based on the approved resolution of the RDC Initial Classification Board.

As of now, Veloso will stay at a regular dorm along with 30 newly received PDLs, said CIW acting superintendent Marjorie Ann Sanidad.

"This arrangement not only promotes a sense of community but also emphasizes the importance of shared experiences and mutual support among the women as they embark on their individual paths toward reform and rehabilitation," BuCor mentioned in its statement, quoting Sanidad.

Catapang meanwhile has already ordered the facility to translate Veloso's Indonesian prison records to English. The step is meant to help assess whether her 14 years of incarceration in Indonesia can be "officially recognized" as valid prison time under BuCor jurisdiction.

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Veloso was arrested and sentenced to death in 2010 after 2.6 kilograms of heroin was found in her luggage, but narrowly escaped execution in 2015. 

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto transferred custody over Veloso to the Philippines this month.

The Filipina death row convict, her family, and rights groups have been vocal on calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant her clemency, but the latter said the decision rests on "the judgement of our legal experts".

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