MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has rolled out financial support and reintegration aid for Mary Jane Veloso and her family following her release after over 15 years of detention, officials announced Monday.
During a press conference on September 28, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) mobilized support shortly after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Veloso an absolute pardon on September 25.
As part of the initial relief, the DSWD distributed ₱30,000 in direct financial assistance to Veloso, ₱10,000 to each of her parents, and scheduled ₱10,000 grants for each of her children.
DSWD officials have also evaluated Veloso for inclusion in the Sustainable Livelihood Program to help establish a long-term income source.
Concurrently, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is coordinating with the family to provide psychosocial support, business capital, vocational training, and starter toolkits to ensure a smooth transition back into society.
“Kalakip ng mga hakbang na ito ang pagbabalik ng dignidad at paghahatid ng pag-asa kay Mary Jane at sa buong pamilya sa pagbubukas ng panibagong yugto sa kanilang buhay,” Castro stated.
“Sa mga hakbang na ito ng Pangulo ay nasagip ang buhay ng isang ina, isang manggagawa, isang Pilipino,” she added.
The support measures mark the end of an extensive legal journey that began with Veloso’s 2010 arrest in Indonesia, where law enforcement discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her baggage.
Although sentenced to execution, she was granted a last-minute stay in April 2015 following an appeal by former President Benigno Aquino III during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia. The postponement was further extended after her alleged human traffickers turned themselves in to Philippine law enforcement.
In November 2024, the Marcos administration successfully negotiated the commutation of her sentence to life imprisonment before arranging her physical transfer back to the Philippines, where she was held at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City under the terms of the bilateral transfer agreement.