MANILA – Nothing is final yet regarding the potential presidential pardon for overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso, Malacañang clarified.
According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the government, at the moment, is focused on facilitating her immediate return to the country after over a decade of imprisonment in Indonesia.
“Nothing to say yet on what may happen. The priority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is to have Veloso repatriated without delay,” Bersamin said in an interview on Tuesday.
Veloso’s expected time of departure from Jakarta, Indonesia is at 12:50 a.m. on Wednesday and she will land in Manila at 6 a.m. on the same day.
Bersamin stated that Veloso’s homecoming to the Philippines is “the fruit of more than a decade of persistent discussions, consultations and diplomacy.”
“Duty-bound as we are to honor the conditions for her transfer to the Philippine jurisdiction, we are truly elated to welcome Mary Jane back to her homeland and family, from whom she has been distracted for too long,” said Bersamin.
The 39-year-old Veloso was arrested and sentenced to death penalty in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kg. of heroin.
Veloso, who maintained her innocence, was given a last-minute reprieve in April 2015 when the Philippine government informed Indonesia that her recruiters had surrendered.
Last November, President Marcos said Philippines and Indonesia reached an agreement to transfer Veloso to the Philippines, thanking new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his government for their goodwill./PN
