If she is not granted clemency, Mary Jane Veloso -- who had served almost 15 years in prison in Indonesia on illegal drugs conviction -- can still avail herself of credits under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law for her early release, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
DOJ Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez pointed this out now that Veloso is back in the Philippines and is now detained at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
Though Veloso was convicted by an Indonesian court, Vasquez explained that Indonesia did not place any conditions when it signed the agreement with the Philippines to transfer her to her home country.
“Pagkalipat na pagkalipat, sya ay subjected na at itatrato s’ya bilang ordinary person deprived of liberty dito sa Pilipinas ayon sa ating batas, ayon sa ating regulasyon at ating patakaran (Once transferred to the Philippines, Veloso is now treated as an ordinary person deprived of liberty under our Philippine laws as well as rules and regulations),” Vasquez said.
“Ang ibig sabihin lang ho n’yan ay kung ano man ho ang pribilehiyo na igagawad ng Bureau of Corrections doon sa lahat ng PDL (This means she is entitled to all the privileges granted by the Bureau of Corrections to all persons deprived of liberty),” he also said.
Thus, he stressed that Veloso can also be released early through the GCTA Law.
Just last Dec. 13, Vasquez said the DOJ and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) signed the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (RIRR) of the GCTA Law pursuant to the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) early this year.
Vasquez said the SC decision “now allowed the grant of the privilege even those convicted of heinous crimes, recidivist at tsaka ‘yung escapees, habitual delinquents (now allows the grant of early release through good conduct can now be availed by those convicted of heinous crimes, recidivists and escapees).”
“Dati rati hindi kasama ang mga ‘yan (They were previously excluded),” he recounted.
Upon her arrival and when turned over to the CIW, Veloso appealed to President Marcos to grant her executive clemency.
Executive clemency “refers to reprieve, absolute pardon, conditional pardon with or without parole conditions, and commutation of sentence granted by the President.”
“Pakiusap ko sa Pangulo sana mabigyan na nya ako ng clemency (I appeal to the President that he hopefuly grants me clemency),” Veloso told reporters at the CIW where she finally met her parents after many years of detention in Indonesia.
Veloso, whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, was convicted in Indonesia where she was arrested in 2010 at the airport with 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage.
With Veloso’s return, government prosecutors can now continue with the proceedings on the human trafficking, illegal recruitment, and estafa cases filed in court against her alleged recruiters by her family.
Her alleged illegal recruiters Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanlinao have been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2020 following their conviction for large-scale illegal recruitment that stemmed from the complaints of their victims Lorna Valina, Ana Marie Gonzales and Jenalyn Paraiso.
On clemency, Vasquez explained that the power rests with the President.
But he said "she is one amongst many.”
“Hindi komo s’ya ngayon ang nasa limelight at ang isyu sa kanya ang pinag-uusapan natin ay kakalimutan na natin ang life at situation ng equally sad situation ng ating mga nakapiit na mga kababayan (It doesn’t mean that just because she is in the limelight that we will forget other Filipinos with equally sad situation who are imprisoned here in the country),” he pointed out.
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. revealed that there are around 30 elderly and sickly PDLs who are seeking to be granted executive clemency by the President.
“We have to count our blessings. Number one, we were able to reduce a death sentence to life. Second, we were able to bring her back with us. Third, bringing her back to us means na she will be subjected to all the rights and privileges of a person deprived of liberty,” said Vasquez.