Philippine president pardons drug convict Mary Jane Veloso

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Friday he had pardoned Mary Jane Veloso, who was spared execution for drug trafficking in Indonesia in 2015 and later transferred home to serve her sentence.

“I already signed her pardon,” Marcos told reporters.

Veloso returned to the Philippines in December 2024 following years of negotiations between Manila and Jakarta after spending nearly 15 years in prison in Indonesia.

Veloso, a mother of two and a former domestic helper, was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kg (5.7 lb) of heroin concealed in a suitcase.

She said she was an unwitting drug mule, but she was convicted and sentenced to death in Indonesia.

Her case drew widespread attention in the Philippines, and prompted years of diplomatic efforts by Manila to secure clemency and eventually her transfer from Indonesia.

In 2024, Manila and Jakarta agreed to transfer Veloso back to Manila in a deal that included the Philippines respecting the court’s sentencing of Veloso and her status as a prisoner.

Indonesian authorities had said any decision on granting Veloso clemency after her transfer would be up to Marcos.