Mary Jane Veloso embraces her sons upon her arrival at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong, Philippines, on December 18, 2024, after nearly 15 years in detention in Indonesia. (Philippines’ Bureau of Corrections Public Information Office)
On September 25, Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, ending the Filipino migrant worker’s nearly 16-year ordeal in detention following her conviction for drug trafficking in Indonesia. The President had signed the pardon a day earlier while visiting Eastern Visayas.
Mary Jane Veloso was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after Indonesian authorities discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. She was subsequently sentenced to death, but maintained throughout the case that she had no knowledge of the drugs. According to her, recruiters had deceived her into transporting the suitcase and that she was a victim of human trafficking.
Her execution was halted at the last minute in 2015 following an appeal from the Philippines’ government. Manila had sought to keep her alive so she could potentially testify against the people who allegedly recruited and deceived her.
Years of negotiations between the Philippine and Indonesian governments eventually led to her transfer to the Philippines in December 2024. She was then placed at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City to serve the remainder of her sentence under Philippine jurisdiction.
Her subsequent petition for executive clemency was reviewed by the Philippines’ government before President Marcos approved the absolute pardon. The decision marks a significant development in a case that has remained closely associated with the risks faced by Filipinos seeking employment overseas, particularly the threat of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
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