The Office of the President is seriously considering granting an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, according to officials speaking in the Philippines. Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia said during House proceedings that the proposal is being discussed to help secure her immediate freedom, given she has been detained for more than a decade over allegations of drug trafficking.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro later confirmed in a briefing that the Office of the President is weighing the pardon on humanitarian grounds. She said no timeline or additional details have been made public. A separate report also cites Malacañang as stating that President Marcos is considering the measure following Veloso’s long detention.
The outlets agree on the core point—that the pardon is under serious consideration and is tied to humanitarian reasons—while differing mainly in emphasis on where the statements were made (House budget discussions versus Palace briefings) and in the amount of information provided about next steps.
