Marcos yet to decide on Mary Jane Veloso’s pardon — Palace

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has yet to decide on granting pardon to Mary Jane F. Veloso, a Filipina convicted of drug charges in Indonesia, the Presidential Palace said on Tuesday, noting her repatriation comes first.

“Nothing to say yet on what may happen,” Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin told reporters in a Viber message when asked about Ms. Veloso’s potential pardon.

“The priority of PBBM (President Bongbong Marcos) is to have Veloso repatriated without delay.”

Ms. Veloso is expected to return to the Philippines in the morning of Dec. 18, after spending over a decade in an Indonesian prison.

Jakarta agreed last month to repatriate Ms. Veloso, a former domestic helper and mother of two, who was arrested in Yogyakarta 14 years ago after being found with 2.6 kilograms of heroin concealed in a suitcase.

She received a last-minute reprieve from execution in 2015 after the late former President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III appealed to the Indonesian government, arguing she could be a vital witness in prosecuting drug syndicates.

Ms. Veloso will serve the remainder of her sentence in the Philippines.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Tuesday said Ms. Veloso will undergo a mandatory five-day quarantine at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. said in a statement that Ms. Veloso will be held in the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) for a maximum of 60 days, as per standard protocols for newly committed prisoners.

This process also includes a five-day quarantine followed by a 55-day orientation, diagnostic evaluation and initial security classification.

Once completed, she will be transferred to her designated corrections facility on the recommendations from the RDC Initial Classification Board.

During the quarantine, Ms. Veloso will be held in a regular quarantine cell for medical observation and undergo medical and physical examinations to assess her condition.

CIW personnel will also interview her to gather information for her registration and list authorized visitors.

The five-day quarantine is expected to end on December 24, allowing Ms. Veloso’s immediate family to visit her for Christmas, Mr. Catapang noted.

FAMILY’S APPEAL
Meanwhile, Ms. Veloso’s lawyer, Edre U. Olalia, chair of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), appealed to the Department of Justice (DoJ) to allow her family to greet her at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before she is taken to CIW.

“We will continue to appeal to their good hearts — consistent with Filipino culture, tradition & sensitivity and in the spirit of the season — to allow the family to meet her at the airport even privately for a short immediate reunion & quick hug at least,” he told reporters in a Viber chat.

“The Indonesians have treated her very well (and) compassionately. We can do no less,” he added.

Migrante International also issued an appeal to the Philippine government, urging Philippine authorities to allow Mary Jane Veloso’s family and legal counsel to welcome her upon her arrival.

“After her grueling years in jail, it is but humane that she sees her mother, father, and children when she arrives on Philippine soil. It has been a long ordeal for her, and the least we can do is allow her to embrace her family in her homeland,” Migrante International Chairperson Joanna Concepcion said in a statement.

Ms. Veloso’s parents, through Mr. Olalia, and Migrante International, had earlier appealed to Mr. Marcos to grant their daughter clemency, in a letter coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana