GUIUAN, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed Friday, September 25, that he has officially signed the absolute pardon for death row survivor Mary Jane Veloso.
Speaking during an ambush interview, Marcos disclosed that he approved the clemency the previous day.
“Pinirmahan ko na. Pinirmahan ko na yun pardon niya kahapon,” Marcos said.
The President’s confirmation comes shortly after Malacañang stated that the administration was seriously evaluating an absolute pardon for Veloso on humanitarian grounds.
Veloso was convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia in 2010 and spent 15 years in prison, where she remained on death row until her case gained international attention. Following extended diplomatic negotiations, she was repatriated to the Philippines to serve her sentence locally prior to the grant of full executive clemency.