PH reiterates plea for Indonesia to pardon Mary Jane Veloso

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has reiterated the Philippines’ request for Indonesia to grant an executive clemency to convicted overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jane Veloso.

Manalo brought up the matter during his meeting with Indonesia Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi during the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

“Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique A. Manalo did take up the topic of Mary Jane Veloso with his Indonesian counterpart Foreign Retno L.P. Marsudi during the JCBC,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Ma. Teresa Daza said.

“Secretary Manalo reiterated the Philippine request for clemency (to) be granted to Ms. Veloso,” Daza added.

While there has been no change in the status of Veloso’s case, the DFA said in the meantime, “the Philippine government continues to provide legal, consular, and welfare assistance to Miss Veloso.”

Daza said the agency will continue to work with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the case filed by Veloso against her perpetrators.

In May 2023, Marcos said the country was not giving up on its plea for Indonesia to pardon Veloso.

He then said that the country continues to ask for a commutation, or a pardon, or extradition back to the Philippines.

Veloso is on death row in Indonesia and was supposed to have been executed by firing squad after she was caught with 2.6 kilograms of heroin at an Indonesian airport in 2010. Veloso denied knowing that she possessed the contraband.

In April 2015, she was granted a last-minute reprieve after an appeal from the late president Benigno Aquino III to the Indonesian government, saying her alleged recruiters had already surrendered to Philippine authorities.

READ MORE: PBBM still hoping that Indonesia will pardon Mary Jane Veloso