The mother of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipino domestic helper who spent almost 15 years on death row in Indonesia, has urged her government to grant a pardon after she is repatriated so their family can be reunited for Christmas. Veloso, 39, who was sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking, was handed over to Philippine officials in Jakarta on Tuesday night, after the Indonesian and Philippine governments reached a deal to allow her to return. She will fly after midnight local time on Tuesday and is expected to arrive back in Manila early on Wednesday morning. “We cannot explain the joy of my husband and her children,” said Veloso’s mother, Celia Veloso, 65, speaking to the Guardian late on Tuesday. “We have been praying for my child to come home for a long time, and now she will be home.” Veloso has always denied the charges, saying she was tricked into carrying drugs by a woman who had recruited her for a job abroad. Her case drew sympathy across the Philippines and Indonesia, where many identified with the story of a single mother who had gone abroad seeking better opportunities to provide for her two children. Celia Veloso said she was grateful to the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, and his government for handling her daughter’s case so soon after taking office in October, and to the Philippine government for bringing her home. She pleaded with the Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos, to now grant her daughter a full pardon. “Dear president, I just ask you – since you have helped my daughter to come home, I hope you will do it completely. When she gets off the plane, give her clemency, pardon her. So that she can be with us for Christmas. It has been a long time without Mary Jane with us.” Her daughter was a victim, Celia Veloso said. “The public knows that Mary Jane is just a victim.” Celia Veloso said she could hardly sleep over recent days. The family had cooked pork adobo – a popular Filipino dish – to give to her, and prepared her room, she said. “When she was imprisoned for 15 years, I was frustrated and tired. But now, it’s just a matter of hours of waiting, and I can’t deal with the boredom and waiting any longer. I’m so eager to hug and see my daughter. “The first thing I will say to my daughter is: child, I want you to be with me. Come with me, let’s go home.” They had not yet made plans for Christmas, but she just wanted her daughter to be happy. “We will make her happy. We need to make her happy, she needs to be really happy for Christmas,” she said. Mary Jane’s sons, who were young children when she was arrested, are now 16 and 22. They were able to visit their mother in prison eight times, but both feel a long time has been wasted, Celia Veloso said. “Now, they say they won’t waste time, they say they’ll make their mom happy, they’ll take care of her, they’ll make their mom a baby, even when their mom was not able to take care of them,” she said. The eldest wants to go back to study and graduate now his mother is home, she added. Both sons were in Manila to welcome their mother. The family, and Mary Jane’s supporters, have fought for years to free her from death row, a journey that has involved drawn-out court battles, diplomatic efforts by three different Philippine administrations, celebrity support and online campaigns. She was almost executed by firing squad in 2015, but was saved at the 11th hour after the Philippines then president, Benigno Aquino, appealed to the Indonesian government, saying she would be needed as a witness in the case against her alleged recruiter. Veloso is expected to arrive in Manila at about 5.40am local time (2140 GMT) on Wednesday. She will then be brought straight to the correctional institution for women in Mandaluyong City, the bureau of corrections has said. Under the deal to repatriate her, it was agreed that the Philippines would respect the Indonesian court’s sentencing of Veloso and her status as a prisoner in Indonesia. However, Indonesia would also respect any decision made by the Philippines, including if she was given clemency. Lucas Bersamin, the executive secretary of the Philippines, told local media that it was “premature” to discuss clemency. Marcos told reporters on Tuesday “we are celebrating already”, when asked about her return. Her story has resonated with many across the Philippines and Indonesia, where many people seek jobs abroad and can be vulnerable to mistreatment. Veloso, from the northern city of Cabanatuan, was born into an impoverished family and did not finish school. She married at 17 but later separated from her husband with whom she has two sons. She moved to Dubai in 2009 to work as a domestic helper but said she was forced to flee after she was the victim of an attempted rape. After returning home, Veloso said Maria Kristina Sergio, the daughter of one of her godparents, offered her a different role as a domestic worker and told her to fly to Indonesia. Veloso alleges that the woman provided her with new clothes and a bag, which had 2.6kg (5.73lb) of heroin sewn into it. Sergio has disputed this account. Veloso’s legal team had previously launched two appeals in Indonesia, arguing she did not have a competent translator, and that she was scammed, but both failed. Speaking to media in Jakarta before her flight, Veloso thanked the Indonesian president and his government for sending her back home to serve her sentence in her country “So, I can be closer to my children and family.” “Thank you, Indonesia, I love Indonesia,” Veloso said. She earlier broke down in tears as she called her children and parents.