Philippine President Grants Pardon to Drug Convict Mary Jane Veloso

MANILA — Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Friday he had granted a pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, who is serving a prison sentence in the Philippines after receiving a last-minute reprieve from execution by firing squad for drug trafficking in Indonesia in 2015. “I already signed her pardon,” Mr. Marcos told reporters. Ms. 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. Ms. 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 Ms. Veloso back to Manila in a deal that included the Philippines respecting the court’s sentencing of Ms. Veloso and her status as a prisoner. Indonesian authorities had said any decision on granting Ms. Veloso clemency after her transfer would be up to Mr. Marcos. — Reuters