Philippines pardons, frees Mary Jane Veloso
Jakarta handed Veloso, who was sentenced to death in 2010 after being arrested carrying heroin, over to Manila in 2024 under a "practical arrangement" for her repatriation, allowing her to serve the rest of her sentence in a Philippine prison.
Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina woman, walked free from a Philippine prison after receiving a presidential pardon on Friday. Veloso, who spent nearly 15 years on death row in Indonesia, was arrested carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin in 2010. The suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with drugs, leading to her arrest and subsequent sentencing to death by an Indonesian court in 2010.
Veloso was granted a presidential pardon by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in 2024, allowing her to serve the remainder of her sentence in a Philippine prison. She expressed her gratitude during a news conference, stating that she was looking forward to reuniting with her two sons. Veloso had travelled to Indonesia to seek work as a maid, and her case had sparked controversy in the Philippines with many Filipinos considering her a symbol of the country's economic diaspora.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
