Mary Jane Veloso transferred to regular dormitory at CIW

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 after completing her five-day quarantine period following her return from Indonesia on December 18.

Veloso, who was sentenced to death and spent nearly 15 years in jail over drug trafficking charges before her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, will stay at the RDC for the next 55 days where she will undergo mandatory orientation, diagnostics, and classification to integrate into the corrections system.

The CIW acting superintendent noted that Veloso is sharing a dormitory measuring 48 by 32 feet with 30 other newly-received persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), fostering a sense of community and mutual support as they begin their journeys toward reform and rehabilitation.

BuCor aims to help new inmates familiarize themselves with the facility's rules, regulations, rights, and privileges during this phase and has also ordered the translation of Veloso's prison records from Bahasa Indonesia to assess her eligibility for clemency under Philippine law.

Veloso and her family have appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for clemency following her release from Indonesian custody after more than a decade.