By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos

HOME AT LAST. Migrant worker Mary Jane Veloso poses for photographers at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, where she was taken right after arriving from Indonesia on Dec. 18, 2024, with her two sons to her right and Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. and Department of Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano behind. Veloso was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death in 2010, until the government finally convinced Indonesian authorities to allow her to serve out her sentence in the Philippines. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday announced the granting of an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, who returned to the Philippines in December 2024 after spending nearly 15 years in prison in Indonesia for alleged drug trafficking.

“Pinirmahan ko na ‘yung pardon niya kahapon (I signed her pardon yesterday),” Marcos confirmed on the sidelines of his visit to Eastern Visayas.

Malacañang said Wednesday that Marcos was considering granting Veloso an absolute pardon on humanitarian grounds.

Veloso was arrested in 2010 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and was sentenced to death in the same year after authorities found 2.6 kg. of heroin in her luggage.

She consistently maintained her innocence, saying she was a victim of human trafficking and her recruiters tricked her into carrying the suitcase without her knowledge.

She received a last-minute reprieve in 2015 after the Philippine government asked Indonesia to spare her so she could testify against her alleged human traffickers.

Following diplomatic engagements between the Philippines and Indonesia regarding prisoner transfer arrangements, Veloso was repatriated to Manila in 2024 and was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City to serve the remainder of her legal sentence under Philippine jurisdiction.

Veloso’s appeal for executive clemency was evaluated and reviewed by the Office of the President earlier this year.

Closure, renewed fight vs trafficking

Meanwile, Senator Francis Pangilinan said the absolute pardon gives Veloso and her family a chance to rebuild their lives after nearly 16 years of detention, while underscoring the need to pursue recruiters and trafficking syndicates preying on Filipinos.

“Kinalulugod natin ang paggawad ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ng absolute pardon kay Mary Jane Veloso (We welcome President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s grant of absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso),” Pangilinan said in a statement.

Pangilinan said Veloso’s experience should also serve as a reminder of the risks faced by Filipinos seeking jobs abroad.

“Habang ipinagdiriwang natin ang kalayaan ni Mary Jane, tuloy-tuloy nating singilin ang mga illegal recruiter, human trafficker at drug syndicate na sinasamantala ang pangarap at kahinaan ng ating mga kababayang OFW (As we celebrate Mary Jane’s freedom, we must continue holding illegal recruiters, human traffickers and drug syndicates accountable for exploiting the dreams and vulnerabilities of our overseas Filipino workers),” he said. (With a report from Wilnard Bacelonia/PNA)