Too early to discuss Veloso clemency - Marcos

Metro Manila, Philippines - The appeal of clemency for Mary Jane Veloso has reached President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but the president said it is premature at this point.

Veloso returned to Manila on Wednesday after serving 14 years in prison in Indonesia for drug trafficking. Her death sentence has been stayed since 2015.

“Malayo pa tayo doon. We still have to have a look at really what her status is. And then of course, we’re aware of the request for clemency from her, of course, from her family,” Marcos told reporters in an interview in Pasay City.

[Translation: We’re still far from that. We still have to look at what her status really is. And then of course, we’re aware of the request for clemency from her, of course, from her family.]

Marcos said giving clemency has to be studied by legal experts.

“And we will leave it to the legal judgment - the judgment of our legal experts to determine whether the provision of clemency is appropriate,” he added.

The president said the Indonesian government did not set conditions on the fate of Veloso after her transfer to the Philippines.

“So, it’s really up to us. But we’re still at the very preliminary stage of her pag-uwi,” he added.

[Translation: So, it’s really up to us. But we’re still at the very preliminary stage of her return.]

Veloso was arrested in 2010 at Yogyakarta airport with 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage. She has consistently claimed innocence, and blamed her recruiter who has been convicted by a local court

Her case gained international attention, which may have been key in the delay of her execution following appeals from the Philippine government and global outcry.