MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has clarified that the execution of Mary Jane Veloso’s sentence fell squarely under Philippine jurisdiction following her repatriation from Indonesia in December 2024.
According to Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty, the bilateral agreement governing Veloso’s transfer specified that the continuation of her sentence would be regulated by domestic laws and legal frameworks.
This condition granted the Philippine government full authority to determine executive clemency, remissions, amnesties, or pardons.
“Maliwanag doon sa kasunduan na nung nalipat na si Mary Jane dito sa bansa natin, pasya na ng Pilipinas kung ano yung mangyayari kay Mary Jane, sa kaniyang pagsilbi ng sentensya at kung mabibigyan man siya ng kung anong executive clemency,” Ty explained.
While the bilateral framework respected the conviction and sentence originally handed down by Indonesian courts, it explicitly handed over all future determinations regarding her custody and potential clemency to Philippine authorities.
Veloso was initially apprehended at an Indonesian airport in 2010 after law enforcement discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin inside her luggage, resulting in a drug trafficking conviction and a sentence of capital punishment.
Her execution was halted at the eleventh hour in 2015 when then-President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III successfully appealed to the Indonesian government for a temporary reprieve.
Following nearly fifteen years of detention in Indonesia, Veloso was handed over to Philippine officials on December 17, 2024. She arrived in Manila the next day and was immediately committed to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections.
The long-standing legal saga reached its conclusion in September 2026, when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially granted Veloso an absolute pardon.
Marcos confirmed that he signed the executive clemency document on September 24, with the formal public declaration following a day later.