CABANATUAN CITY – The family of Mary Jane Veloso was so overwhelmed that her mother, Aling Celia, was initially in disbelief on reports that Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. had signed documents for her absolute pardon.
This, until the lawyer Edre Olalia confirmed it via phone call.
“Ako man e hindi ko mapaniwalaan, nung tumawag si Atty. Edre dun pa lang ako naniwala,” she said.
An overseas worker hopeful, Veloso reportedly fell prey to illegal recruiters who allegedly instructed her to fly to Indonesia using luggage provided by one of three suspects who remains at large.
The illegal drugs were discovered clandestinely packed inside the said bag in Yogyakarta Airport in April 2010.
She was subsequently sentenced to death by an Indonesian court and spent 15 years on death row in an Indonesian prison before being returned to the Philippines in December 2024.
Former Nueva Ecija 3rd District Rep. Ria Veraga, meanwhile, expressed happiness on Marcos Jr.’s decision to give Veloso an absolute pardon.
In a privilege speech in 2024, Vergara sought “mercy, opportunity, and a fresh start” for Veloso and her family.
“Ngayon, naririnig na natin ang kasagutan sa kahilingang iyon. Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng nakibahagi at tumulong upang maibigay kay Mary Jane ang pagkakataong matagal niyang hinihintay — ang makapagsimula muli at makasama ang kanyang pamilya,” Vergara said in a social media post.
Veloso was a resident of Barangay Caudillo here, within the province’s 3rd congressional district.
“Sa kabila ng mahabang panahon ng pagsubok, nanatili ang pag-asa. Maligayang pag-asa at panibagong simula, Mary Jane,” Vergara said.
