Palace confirms Veloso absolute pardon under consideration

Malacañang on Wednesday confirmed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is considering granting Mary Jane Veloso an absolute pardon, nearly two years after she was transferred back to the Philippines from Indonesia.

“We are confirming that the President is considering the request. We will provide the timeline once available,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. She was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death.

Her camp has consistently maintained that she was tricked into carrying the drugs and was a victim of human trafficking. She was transferred to Philippine custody in December 2024 and remains detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong.

Castro said Marcos had received Veloso’s letter seeking clemency.

“Sa simula po ay binabanggit na wala naman naging kasalanan, diumano, si Mary Jane Veloso, so doon tayo mag-start. Pero kung ano pa ang magiging detalye, hindi po ako ang may karapatan sa ngayon na magsabi rito dahil nasa Pangulo po iyan,” Castro said.

She added that an announcement could come before Christmas.

“Baka mas maaga. Hindi natin alam. Let us see. Hayaan natin ang Pangulo ang magsalita,” Castro said.

The Office of the President had earlier told lawmakers that it was “seriously considering” an absolute pardon for Veloso on humanitarian grounds and that an announcement could be made “in a few days.”