DOJ: Veloso pardon did not violate Indonesia transfer deal

The Philippines did not violate its prisoner transfer agreement with Indonesia when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted Mary Jane Veloso an absolute pardon, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said Thursday.

Vida said the agreement governing Veloso’s transfer to the Philippines allowed Philippine authorities to determine how her sentence would be enforced after her return.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said the agreement provided that the continued enforcement of Veloso’s sentence would be governed by Philippine laws and procedures, including provisions on remission, amnesty and other forms of clemency.

“It is clear in the agreement when Mary Jane was transferred in the Philippines, the decision of the country of what will happen to her service of sentence and if ever she will be given executive clemency,” Ty said.

Vida said Philippine authorities coordinated with Indonesia while considering the pardon and saw no conflict between Marcos’ exercise of executive clemency and the transfer agreement.

“We don’t see anything contrary to what has been agreed upon,” Vida said.

He added that the Philippines recognizes Indonesia’s legal system, while Indonesia likewise recognizes the Philippine president’s authority to grant executive clemency.

“We don’t see any hindrance or different interpretation of Indonesia on this case,” he said.

Indonesia agreed in 2024 to transfer Veloso to the Philippines while maintaining recognition of the Indonesian court judgment. Indonesia also agreed to respect any clemency decision made by the Philippine government after her transfer.

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 after authorities found about 2.6 kilograms of heroin concealed in her luggage. She has maintained that she was unknowingly used as a drug courier.

She was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death. Her scheduled execution in 2015 was halted at the last minute following appeals by the Philippine government and developments in the cases against her alleged recruiters.

Veloso was transferred to Philippine custody on 18 December 2024 and brought to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.

Marcos signed her absolute pardon on 24 September 2026 and announced it the following day. Veloso was released from prison on 25 September.

Following her release, Veloso said she plans to continue her studies, which she began through the Alternative Learning System while in prison.

She also thanked those who supported her throughout her imprisonment and said she was willing to help other Filipinos who become victims of illegal recruitment.