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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace: Office of Executive Secretary to review Veloso's case amid clemency plea

Palace: Office of Executive Secretary to review Veloso's case amid clemency plea

Published Feb 10, 2026 03:35 pm
Mary Jane Veloso meets with her family and relatives upon arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City on December 18, 2024. (Santi San Juan/MANILA BULLETIN)
Mary Jane Veloso meets with her family and relatives upon arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City on December 18, 2024. (Santi San Juan/MANILA BULLETIN)
Malacañang said the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) will review the case of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina who was convicted abroad for drug trafficking, amid her petition for clemency.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the OES will review the latest minutes of the meeting between Indonesia and the Philippines to determine whether there are any laws that will be violated in granting clemency.
Castro, however, said that grating a clemency is still the prerogative of the President.
"Kanina lang po ay nakausap po natin mismo ang sa OES at sinasabi po nila na aaralin po kung ano pa iyong mga probisyon at kung ano ba iyong minutes of the meeting nila sa bansang Indonesia at prerogative pa rin po ng Pangulo ang masusunod (Earlier, we were able to speak directly with the OES, and they said they will study the remaining provisions as well as the minutes of their meeting with Indonesia, and that ultimately, it will still be the President’s prerogative that will prevail)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
"[A]aralin po nila iyong pinakahuling minutes of the meeting nila with Indonesia at titingnan po nila kung walang anumang malalabag na batas at, muli, prerogative po ng Pangulo kung anuman po ang kanyang igagawad dito (They will review the latest minutes of their meeting with Indonesia and determine whether there are any laws that would be violated, and again, whatever decision is made will be at the President’s prerogative)," Castro added.
It can be recalled that Veloso's family, lawyers, religious and human rights groups submitted to Malacañang in July last year a petition seeking Veloso's freedom.
Castro then said that the petition would reach the President.
On Monday, Feb. 9, the Palace official deemed it preferable for Veloso to write to Marcos over her bid for freedom.
Veloso has written an open letter to appeal to authorities to grant her freedom in order to take care of her parents and children, whom she did not have the chance to watch grow up.
The letter was dated Jan. 28, and was recently released by Migrante International, a non-government organization for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families.
Veloso returned to the Philippines on Dec. 18, 2024 after the Indonesian government turned over the legal custody for Veloso to the Philippine government.
She remains detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
In October 2010, Veloso was found guilty as charged as the court ruled that she could not prove her unawareness of the drug trafficking. She was then sentenced to death.
Her supposed execution in 2015 did not happen as she was granted a reprieve amid a strong appeal from Philippine officials during the term of former president Benigno "Noynoy" Simeon Aquino III.
Her case was again taken into discussion again during the early days of President Marcos' presidency, which later led to the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correction to consider a “transfer of prisoner” option for Veloso, in line with the Philippine government’s request and as part of "constructive diplomacy" being taken by both sides.

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