Mary Jane Veloso has been released from the Correctional Institution for Women after receiving an absolute pardon from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Key facts
- •Mary Jane Veloso spent more than a decade in detention following her 2010 sentencing in Indonesia.
- •President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted the absolute pardon on September 24, 2025.
- •The release was facilitated by an agreement between the Philippine and Indonesian governments.
- •Veloso was released from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City on September 25, 2025.
- •The Bureau of Corrections is coordinating her reintegration into her home community in Nueva Ecija.
Mary Jane Veloso, a former overseas Filipino worker and human trafficking victim, was released from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City on Friday night, September 25. Her release followed an absolute pardon granted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, September 24, which extinguished her criminal liability and restored her full civil and political rights.
Background and Legal Case
Veloso was sentenced to death in Indonesia in 2010 for drug trafficking. She maintained that she was a victim of human trafficking, claiming she was tricked by recruiters into unknowingly carrying heroin in a suitcase while traveling to what she believed was a job in Malaysia. Her recruiters are currently detained for illegal recruitment.
Release and Reintegration
Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. presented Veloso with the official release order and the President's pardon. As part of her reintegration, the Bureau of Corrections will endorse her to her local government unit in Nueva Ecija to provide access to programs and services intended to support her transition back into the community.
Timeline
- 2010Mary Jane Veloso was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Indonesia.
- September 24, 2025President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. granted an absolute pardon to Veloso.
- September 25, 2025Veloso was released from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rappler.
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