The father of convicted overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso expressed his gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday for his efforts to bring her back home.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako. Talagang maraming marami salamat po sa ating mahal na Pangulo at natugunan na rin po ang aming kahilingan na pauwiin na rin po si Mary Jane dito sa Pilipinas,” Cesar Veloso said in a radio interview.

He also thanked the government and others who helped the detained OFW in Indonesia.

Marcos Jr. said early Wednesday he is looking forward to welcoming home Veloso, who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Indonesia in 2010. She will be sent home to continue serving her sentence.

“After over a decade of diplomacy and consultations with the Indonesian government, we managed to delay her execution long enough to reach an agreement to finally bring her back to the Philippines,” the President said on his official X account.

He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the Indonesian government for their goodwill. He said this reflects the strengthened partnership between the Philippines and Indonesia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs formally requested clemency for Veloso on September 6, 2022. She was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after she was found carrying a suitcase containing over 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was sentenced to death in the same year.