PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has granted former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso an absolute pardon.
In an interview with reporters in Samar, Marcos confirmed signing Veloso’s absolute pardon on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
“Pinirmahan ko na… Pinirmahan ko na ‘yung pardon niya kahapon,” the President said without divulging further details.
Earlier, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos was considering granting Veloso an absolute pardon for humanitarian reasons.
Veloso was arrested and detained in Indonesia in 2010 after airport authorities discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin concealed in her luggage, which she said was given to her by her recruiter as a gift.
She was sentenced to death in 2015 but was granted a temporary reprieve following the surrender of her recruiter, who was charged with illegal recruitment, human trafficking and estafa in relation to Veloso’s case.
The Indonesian government allowed Veloso’s return to the Philippines in December 2024 following a prisoner transfer agreement signed by the governments of the Philippines and Indonesia.
Veloso was brought directly to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)