Filipina on death row says planned transfer is 'miracle'

A Filipina inmate on death row in Indonesia said from prison yesterday that her planned transfer was a "miracle", in her first interview since Manila and Jakarta signed an agreement to repatriate her.

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Mother of two Mary Jane Veloso, 39, was arrested and sentenced to death in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6kg of heroin in a case that sparked uproar in the Philippines.

Both she and her supporters claim she was duped by an international drug syndicate and in 2015, she narrowly escaped execution after her suspected recruiter was arrested.

"This is a miracle because, honestly, even now, it still feels like a dream. Every morning when I wake up, I think about my aspirations, aspirations that I never had any certainty about," she said when asked about the decision.

"That's why I always prayed to God: 'Lord, I only ask for one chance to go home and be with my family.' And God answered that prayer."

Last week, Indonesia's senior law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said a "practical arrangement" had been signed for her repatriation.