President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. clarified that granting clemency to Mary Jane Veloso, the overseas Filipino worker sentenced to death in Indonesia, remains a distant possibility.
Veloso, who returned to the Philippines on December 18 and is now in the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong, expressed happiness at being home and appealed to Marcos for clemency.
Speaking to reporters on December 19, Marcos acknowledged Veloso’s request but emphasized the need for further review. “We still have to have a look at what her status is. Malayo pa tayo roon,” he said, adding that legal experts will assess the situation to determine the appropriateness of granting clemency.
The president also noted that Indonesia imposed no conditions on Veloso’s repatriation, leaving the matter entirely to the Philippine government’s discretion. “It’s really up to us,” he remarked, describing the process as still in its early stages.
Department of Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez earlier affirmed that the agency is open to discussing clemency for Veloso. “Everything is on the table,” Vasquez stated.
Indonesia, meanwhile, expressed respect for any decision the Philippines makes regarding Veloso’s case, though it has barred her from returning to their country.
Veloso was arrested in 2010 at Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto International Airport after authorities found over 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage, which she claimed was unknowingly handed to her by her recruiters. Sentenced to death in 2015, she received a last-minute reprieve after appeals from the late former President Benigno Aquino III.
In November, Marcos announced an agreement with Indonesia that allowed Veloso to return to the Philippines.
