President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is evaluating the grant of an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina human trafficking victim who served 15 years in Indonesian custody following a drug smuggling conviction.
Speaking at a news briefing on Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that executive clemency is under consideration for Veloso.
“Iyung iko-confirm ko namain (ay) iyung kino-konsidera iyung pagbibigay ng absolute pardon,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Wednesday.
While confirming the active review, Palace officials noted that a final timetable for the issuance remains unconfirmed, with public announcements slated once the Chief Executive reaches a final decision.
Veloso was apprehended in 2010 at Adisutjipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after customs authorities discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin hidden inside the lining of her luggage. She was tried and sentenced to death later that same year.
Her scheduled execution in 2015 was suspended at the final hour following sustained high-level diplomatic appeals by the Philippine government, alongside the surrender and arrest of her alleged illegal recruiters in the Philippines.
Following extensive bilateral negotiations between Manila and Jakarta, Indonesian authorities officially transferred legal custody of Veloso to the Philippine government on December 18, 2024. Since her return to the Philippines, she has remained detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Veloso has consistently maintained her innocence, stating she was duped into transporting the contraband, and has submitted formal clemency petitions seeking relief to reunite with her children and aging parents.