Mary Jane Veloso reunites with her family after arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong on December 18, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The legal team of Mary Jane Veloso expects her release “anytime” after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted her an absolute pardon on Friday, with her lawyer saying she could be freed as early as today or tomorrow.
TIMELINE: Mary Jane Veloso's decade-long ordeal from Indonesian death row to absolute pardon
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) chairperson and Veloso’s lead counsel Edre Olalia said the remaining steps are administrative, and he doubts the process will extend beyond the weekend.
“Nakikita namin, nafo-foresee namin na anytime, it could be today, it could be tomorrow. But, I doubt kung lalagpas pa ‘yan ng weekend,” Olalia said in an interview.
“I can foresee naman dadaan ‘yan sa administrative procedure. Aayusin ‘yung mga records, magkakaroon siya ng medical. Tapos, ichi-check kung meron mang pending case,” he added.
Olalia said there is no need for court clearance before Veloso can be released because Marcos granted her an absolute pardon.
“Kasi, wala namang kailangang clearance eh, absolute ‘yung pardon, galing pa sa pinakamataas na opisyales natin na si Pangulong Bongbong Marcos,” he said.
The legal team has yet to receive formal communication from Malacañang regarding the pardon but expects the process to move faster than usual.
Marcos confirmed Friday that he had signed Veloso’s pardon the previous day.
Olalia said the legal team learned of the President’s decision while they were holding a meeting at the NUPL office.
“There was a call, rather, unidentified number. I took it in abundance of caution. It might be important. It turns out that there was a breaking news that the president admitted that he did sign the pardon, absolute pardon, yesterday,” he said.
“And then all hell broke loose. So we stopped our meeting. We were hugging each other, clapping and congratulating,” he added.
Olalia said he immediately contacted Veloso’s family and was able to speak with her parents, her two sons and her sister.
He said Veloso’s mother, Celia, was “crying with joy” and expressed her gratitude to the legal team and those who had supported her daughter’s case over the years.
The lawyer said, however, that they have not yet been able to speak directly with Veloso at the Correctional Institution for Women.
“We cannot get through until now. So I called the family and to my delight, I was able to speak to the parents, to the two young sons, and to her sister,” Olalia said.
Olalia said the family is preparing to travel to Manila following the announcement.
While he described the President’s public statement as sufficient confirmation, Olalia said a written document would still be preferable.
“It’s better if things are in writing, in black and white, so that when you go back to any questions or any references, it’s something that you can hold on to,” he said. “But I think the word of the President, a public statement, is as good as it is.”
APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION NEEDED
Olalia said the pardon would still become part of the official record through the appropriate documentation.
Veloso was arrested in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. She was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death. She has maintained that she was unaware of the drugs and had been deceived by people who recruited her for work abroad.
After years of negotiations, Indonesia and the Philippines agreed in 2024 to transfer Veloso to Philippine custody. She arrived in the country in December 2024 and was placed at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City to serve the remainder of her sentence.
Marcos ‘considering’ absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso – Palace
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