PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has formally granted absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, the former overseas Filipino worker who has spent more than 16 years in detention, announcing the decision personally on Friday.
“I’ll give you a scoop. I signed it already… I signed her pardon yesterday,” the President said confirming the long‑awaited executive action. The pardon clears the way for Veloso’s release from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, where she has been held since being transferred from Indonesia in December 2024.
The development follows confirmation earlier this week from Bataan 2nd District Representative Albert “Abet” Garcia, who disclosed during House budget deliberations that the Office of the President was “seriously considering” granting pardon on humanitarian grounds. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro later verified the review was underway, noting that the case was being evaluated from the outset with recognition of claims that Veloso bore no real fault. “From the start, it was mentioned that Mary Jane Veloso is allegedly innocent. So we can start there,” Castro had stated.
Veloso’s ordeal began in April 2010 when she was arrested in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after authorities found heroin in her possession. She maintained she was deceived and unknowingly used as a drug mule, yet was convicted and sentenced to death that October. Her sentence was commuted in 2015 following intense diplomatic intervention by the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III, and she remained in Indonesia until being transferred to Philippine custody late last year to serve a sentence of reclusion perpetua — ranging from 20 to 40 years — under local law.
For years, Veloso’s family and a broad coalition of migrant worker advocates campaigned for her freedom, framing her as a victim of exploitation who had been separated from her children for far too long. The granting of absolute pardon not only ends her prolonged legal confinement but also restores her civil and political rights, allowing her to fully return to family life. Authorities are expected to finalize release procedures shortly, with official confirmation of her liberty anticipated in the coming days.
metrosundaily
