President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is focused on the swift repatriation of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina prisoner from Indonesia, who is scheduled to be repatriated on Wednesday, December 18, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Tuesday.
Asked whether a presidential pardon for Veloso is being considered, Bersamin said the Palace has no comment on the matter at this time.
“Nothing to say yet on what may happen,” Bersamin said in a statement. “The priority of PBBM is to have Veloso repatriated without delay.”
The Department of Affairs on Monday confirmed that Veloso is set to return to the Philippines on Wednesday, 14 years since her incarceration.
Veloso was imprisoned in Indonesia in 2010 after she was convicted for drug trafficking.
Her case drew significant international attention, with advocates and the government repeatedly asserting that Veloso was a victim of human trafficking and unwittingly used as a drug courier.
President Marcos previously assured the public of his administration’s efforts to assist Veloso, whose execution has been postponed indefinitely following appeals from the Philippine government.
