Manila: Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to return Mary Jane Veloso from Indonesia to the Philippines demonstrated that compassionate justice exists. In an interview on Thursday, Bongalon described the action taken by the Marcos administration as a positive step in appealing to the Indonesian government for Veloso to serve her sentence in the Philippines.

According to Philippines News Agency, Bongalon noted that this development was the result of effective diplomatic relations and consultations between the two governments. “It’s encouraging to know that Mary Jane Veloso will be able to return to our country this coming December, where she will serve her sentence for drug trafficking. She has been spared from the death penalty, and now her family will have the opportunity to personally visit her and assess her situation,” he said.

Bongalon further expressed that the Philippine government respects the laws of Indonesia. He also took the oppo
rtunity to commend the President for addressing the needs of families affected by recent typhoons in the Philippines.

“The government’s intervention to respond to the needs of the people is commendable. Just like what the President did on Wednesday by visiting Catanduanes, and Speaker Martin Romualdez visiting different provinces today. We have a proactive government that is addressing the needs of the people, especially in disaster response,” he said.