LOOK: Absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso signed by Marcos

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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.

Marcos signed the pardon on Thursday, September 24, and confirmed the move the following day.

The document, shared with the media by Veloso’s counsel, Edre Olalia, stated that the absolute pardon restored her “full civil and political rights.”

Courtesy: Atty. Edre Olalia

Veloso was arrested on April 25, 2010, at Adisutjipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. She was sentenced to death by an Indonesian court on October 11, 2010.

She has consistently maintained her innocence, saying she was unknowingly used as a drug courier after being given a suitcase by her recruiters.

Her execution was halted in 2015 after the Philippine government appealed to Indonesian authorities to allow her to testify against her alleged recruiters.

In December 2024, Indonesia agreed to transfer Veloso to Philippine custody following years of diplomatic negotiations. She arrived in the Philippines on December 18, 2024, and was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City to serve the remainder of her sentence under Philippine jurisdiction.

Veloso was formally released from the facility on Friday after the necessary procedures were completed. — VBL, GMA News