After years in detention, Mary Jane Veloso finally free after Marcos pardon

Mary Jane Veloso (C) waves to photographers as she meets her family after arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women in manila on December 18, 2024. Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who spent nearly 15 years on Indonesia's death row landed in Manila on December 18 morning where she was taken to a local prison following a repatriation deal years in the making.

AFP / Ted Aljibe

MANILA, Philippines — Mary Jane Veloso was formally released from the Correctional Institution for Women after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted her an absolute pardon.

Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. on Friday, September 25, personally handed Veloso a copy of the pardon and her official release, completing the procedures for her discharge.

The absolute pardon removes the remaining legal consequences of Veloso’s conviction, allowing her to rebuild her life outside prison after nearly 15 years in detention.

Veloso, a mother of two, was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in the suitcase she was carrying. She was subsequently sentenced to death for drug trafficking.

In 2015, following the surrender of her suspected illegal recruiter in the Philippines, then-President Benigno Aquino III made a last-minute appeal to Indonesian authorities to spare Veloso’s life.

Veloso was granted a reprieve just hours before her scheduled execution by firing squad on April 29, 2015. The decision came so late that several Philippine newspapers had mistakenly reported that she had already been executed.

She was eventually transferred to the Philippines in December 2024 under an agreement with Indonesia that allowed her to serve the remainder of her sentence in the country.

Veloso and her supporters have maintained that she was duped by an international drug syndicate while seeking work as a domestic helper in Indonesia.

Catapang said Veloso will be endorsed to the local government unit of her residence in Nueva Ecija as part of the government’s reintegration process.

Through the LGU, Veloso may access livelihood assistance, social welfare support, counseling, skills development and other services to help her transition back into the community.

The BuCor said coordinating with the LGU is part of its mandate to support persons released from custody and help them establish stable and productive lives after incarceration.

The turnover of the pardon document and release order formally completed the administrative process for Veloso’s release.

Government agencies and local officials are expected to coordinate in providing support based on Veloso’s needs as she returns to her family and community.

“This only proves that there are really second chances, and we are happy that Veloso can now enjoy her newfound freedom with her family,” Catapang said. — with reports from Ian Laqui