Mary Jane Veloso’s Counsel Expects Faster Release After Marcos’ ‘Unique’ Absolute Pardon
Her lawyer said the pardon is absolute and cannot be reviewed, clearing the way for a faster release after 16 years in detention.
- On Friday, Mary Jane Veloso walked free from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted her an "absolute pardon," ending nearly 16 years of detention.
- Indonesian authorities arrested Veloso in 2010 after finding 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage, sentencing her to death before her 2024 transfer to the Philippines under a "practical arrangement."
- National Union of People's Lawyer Chairperson Edre Olalia described the pardon as an "absolute prerogative" beyond review, noting the "unique" circumstances expedite her release process.
- Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. personally delivered her release documents on Friday. The government is preparing reintegration support including livelihood assistance and counseling for her return to Nueva Ecija.
- Her case became a symbol for the 10 million overseas Filipino workers, as Veloso testified against recruiters Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao in their 2020 human trafficking case.
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Filipina mother of two Mary Jane Veloso walks free after 15 years on Indonesia death row
MANILA, Sept 26 — A Filipina who spent almost 15 years on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking walked free on Friday after receiving a presidential pardon.A beaming Mary...
Philippines pardons death-row inmate Mary Jane Veloso after 16 years behind bars
MANILA: After more than 16 years in prison and nearly being killed by a firing squad in Indonesia on drug trafficking charges, Mary Jane Veloso was freed on Friday following an absolute pardon from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Veloso, a former domestic worker from Nueva Ecija province, was arrested in 2010 at an airport in Yogyakarta for allegedly smuggling 2.6 kg of heroin from Malaysia into Indonesia. Throughout the case, she main…
LOOK: Absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso signed by Marcos
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has granted an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, paving the way for her release from prison on Friday, nearly 16 years after she was arrested and sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
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