Palace ‘seriously considering’ absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso

MANILA, Philippines —  Palace Press Officer Claire Castro has confirmed that the Office of the President (OP) is “seriously considering” granting an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso based on humanitarian grounds. 

In a Palace briefing, Castro said the timeline and other details remain undisclosed.

This confirmation comes after Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia said on Wednesday that the OP is seriously considering granting an absolute pardon to Veloso, who has been detained for over a decade for alleged drug trafficking.

“The Office of the President is seriously considering to grant absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso on humanitarian grounds in support of the government’s commitment to protecting Filipino migrant workers,” Garcia said during the House sponsorship and plenary deliberations for the proposed budget of the OP for next year. /apl