PRESIDENT Marcos is considering granting absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso on humanitarian grounds, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed the development after Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia said during deliberations on the proposed 2027 budget of the Office of the President that Malacañang is ‘seriously considering’ granting Veloso an absolute pardon.
Castro said the consideration is anchored on humanitarian grounds.
Asked if the pardon could be granted before Christmas, Castro said it could come earlier but declined to give a definite timeline.
‘Baka mas maaga. Let us see. Hayaan natin ang Pangulo magsalita, [It could be earlier. Let us see. Let’s leave that to the President],’ she said in a Palace briefing.
Garcia earlier said an announcement on the matter could be made in the coming days.
Veloso, a former overseas Filipino worker, was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death in Indonesia in 2010. She spent nearly 15 years in Indonesian custody before being repatriated to the Philippines in December 2024 following an agreement between Manila and Jakarta.
She is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Castro said the Philippine government does not need to seek Indonesia’s approval for the possible grant of pardon.
The possible pardon follows previous appeals by Veloso and her family for executive clemency. In July, Malacañang said the appeal would be relayed to Marcos for consideration.
In December 2024, Marcos said the request for clemency would be subject to review by the government’s legal experts.