Philippine president pardons drug convict Mary Jane Veloso

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September 25, 2026 12:28 AM EDT

Philippine drug convict and former death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso is kissed by her sons at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David

MANILA, Sept 25 (Reuters) - ‌Philippine President ​Ferdinand ​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," 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.

(Reporting by Nestor ‌Corrales)


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