DOJ to assess circumstances in Veloso executive clemency bid

Mary Jane Veloso at a jail facility in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. — CONTRIBUTED

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it would weigh “the totality of the circumstances” in recommending executive clemency for Mary Jane Veloso, an overseas Filipino worker sentenced to death in Indonesia for heroin possession in 2010.

Veloso, who was detained in Indonesia for 14 years, arrived at the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City at 7:06 a.m. on Wednesday.

READ: Mary Jane Veloso arrives at Correctional Institution for Women

According to Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres, the DOJ, through the Board of Pardons and Parole, is the agency responsible for recommending executive clemency to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Taken the totality of the circumstances that she was framed, she was a victim of human trafficking, I think this will all be part of the recommendation. But it will take some time,” Andres said in a Teleradyo interview.

“We will look into it with the Board of Pardons and Parole, which will provide recommendations to the President on granting absolute or conditional pardon, and we will reach that point in due time,” he explained in Filipino.

He also explained that Veloso would still have to serve detention in the Philippines as part of their agreement with Indonesia.

“But for now, we need to enforce the law by allowing her to serve part of her sentence at the CIW,” he said.

He assured the public that the Philippines still has the right to enforce its laws concerning the grant of executive clemency.

“Under the agreement, our country also has the right to enforce provisions on executive clemency, which is within the authority of the president,” Andres said in Filipino. “⁠But even the grant of executive clemency should follow a process.”

Andres likewise emphasized that the DOJ respects the laws of Indonesia.

“The Indonesian government has given us a huge favor, which is why our President said, ‘Let the Indonesian government follow its process, and when she arrives here, we will do our part’,” he said.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) previously said that Veloso would undergo the mandatory five-day quarantine protocol for newly committed persons deprived of liberty at the CIW.

During the quarantine period, Veloso will be placed in a designated quarantine cell for medical observation to assess her physical and mental condition.

Veloso’s sons, Mark Daniel and Mark Darren, visited their mother at the CIW around 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

READ: What will happen to Mary Jane Veloso upon her arrival in PH

Andres said Veloso’s safety would be prioritized during her detention at the CIW.

“We are ensuring her safety there. Our Director General of the Bureau of Corrections is making sure that she is safe and nothing bad will happen to her,” he added.

READ: 14 years on death row: Timeline of Mary Jane Veloso’s fight for justice