Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has granted a pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who spent nearly 15 years on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking before being repatriated to the Philippines. The 40-year-old Veloso is expected to be released, as there are no remaining active legal cases against her, although the exact timing of her release has not been announced.

Veloso was arrested in 2010 when 2.6 kilograms of heroin were found concealed in the suitcase she was carrying upon arrival in Indonesia. She was subsequently sentenced to death by an Indonesian court. After narrowly avoiding execution for nine years, Indonesian authorities transferred her to the Philippines in 2024 under a “practical arrangement” that allowed her to serve the remainder of her sentence in a Philippine prison.

During a visit to Batac, a town in the northern Philippines, Marcos revealed the pardon, stating, “I’ll give you a scoop: I signed her pardon yesterday.” His spokesperson had previously indicated that Marcos was seriously considering granting her an absolute pardon.

Veloso’s family received the news through her lawyer. Her mother, Celia Veloso, told reporters by phone from their hometown in the northern Philippines that Mary Jane’s two sons were “so happy” and expressed relief at the prospect of being reunited with their mother.

Veloso’s case gained significant attention in the Philippines, where millions of citizens work abroad seeking better income opportunities. Veloso had traveled to Indonesia with the intention of finding employment as a domestic helper. She and her supporters maintain that she was deceived by an international drug trafficking syndicate into carrying the drugs.

In 2015, Indonesian authorities refrained from executing Veloso after Philippine law enforcement arrested the suspected recruiter responsible for her involvement, which contributed to the delay of her execution and eventual repatriation. The pardon by President Marcos marks the final stage in a long legal battle that has drawn national and international attention.