Protocols

Mary Jane Veloso is back in the country. But she is not back in her home. There are protocols to be observed.

- ALEX MAGNO

She describes her repatriation as a "miracle." It will be more precise to describe her case as the outcome of patient and proper diplomacy.

According to her family's account, Mary Jane was minutes away from execution by firing squad when she received a reprieve from former Indonesian President Widodo. The reprieve was obviously a gesture of friendship after Filipino officials at the highest levels pleaded her case. Her sentence was subsequently reduced to life imprisonment.

The decision to repatriate Mary Jane was not unique. At about the same time her repatriation was announced, several Australians sentenced for drug trafficking were likewise returned to the custody of their own government.

None of the repatriations of convicted criminals are reported to have conditions attached to them by the Indonesia government. Indonesia officials have taken pains to make it appear the repatriations were as routine as possible.

Our diplomats deserve all the credit for their relentless but polite efforts. They tried very hard not to offend Jakarta or to undermine the credibility of her tough anti-drug laws. While our diplomats were unrelenting, they were never pushy. Indonesia is a close ally.

The repatriation of Mary Jane is a happy event. Her return signals to our millions of migrant workers that our government has their back, that every effort will be exerted to ensure they are well treated abroad even as they may have committed offenses. In the case of Mary Jane, her conviction is on solid legal grounds. Being tricked into performing as a drug mule is not a mitigating factor in the eyes of the law.