MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. stated on Thursday that the possibility of granting clemency to Mary Jane Veloso, who recently returned to the Philippines after spending nearly 15 years on death row in Indonesia, would need further evaluation by legal experts.
When asked about Veloso’s case during an ambush interview in Pasay City, Marcos responded, “Malayo pa tayo run. (We are still far from it). We still have to have a look at really what her status is.”
“We will leave it to the legal judgment of our legal experts to determine whether the provision of clemency is appropriate,” the President added.
Veloso, who was convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia, returned to Manila on Wednesday morning.
In a brief interview with the media, Veloso expressed her joy, saying she is “very happy” to be back in the Philippines.
Veloso was arrested in 2010 at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta after authorities discovered more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. She has consistently claimed innocence, asserting that she was unaware of the illegal contents in her bag, which she said was handed to her by her recruiters, Julius Lacanilao and Maria Cristina Sergio.
