President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Thursday that granting clemency to Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipino overseas worker who was previously on death row in Indonesia and has now returned to the Philippines, still has a long way to go.
"Of course we're aware of the request for clemency from her representatives and of course from her family," said Marcos.
"We will leave it to the judgement of our legal experts to determine whether the provision of clemency is appropriate," he added.
Pang. @bongbongmarcos, ipauubaya sa legal experts ang usapin ng executive clemency para kay Mary Jane Veloso | RH 14 @leth_narciso, DZRH News pic.twitter.com/6n5OdHsGVs
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) December 19, 2024
The president further mentioned that Indonesia did not impose any conditions on Mary Jane Veloso's return to the Philippines, so it is now up to the Philippine government to decide whether or not to grant her clemency.
The family of Mary Jane Veloso has been relentlessly appealing to President Marcos for clemency in her case.
Indonesia earlier expressed its commitment to respecting any decision made by the Philippines regarding Veloso's case after her return, including the possibility of granting clemency.
Veloso arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday, accompanied by several government officials from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Indonesian government granted the transfer of custody for the Filipina, who had spent nearly 15 years in prison on drug trafficking charges.
Upon her arrival in the country, she was immediately taken to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW), where she is now detained.
In an exclusive interview with DZRH, Celia Veloso, her mother, shared that they will be spending Christmas at the detention facility where Veloso is detained, allowing them to finally reunite with her after being separated for a long time.
In 2010, Veloso was arrested by Indonesian authorities in Yogyakarta after 2.6 kilograms of heroin were discovered in her suitcase.
