Malacañang said Tuesday that the Office of the Executive Secretary is reviewing the relevant provisions and the outcomes of meetings between the Philippine government and Indonesia regarding the case of Mary Jane Veloso.
Veloso, a Filipina convicted of drug trafficking abroad, recently appealed to authorities to grant her freedom so she could care for her elderly parents and children after being separated from them for more than 16 years.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Office of the Executive Secretary is currently studying both the provisions involved and the minutes of the government’s discussions with Indonesia. She added that the final decision remains within the prerogative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..
Indonesia has earlier agreed to transfer Veloso to the Philippines, where she will remain under detention. Veloso has spent about 15 years in prison following her conviction for drug trafficking.
She was initially sentenced to death, but the penalty was commuted in 2015 following strong appeals from Philippine officials led by the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
Meanwhile, Veloso’s parents, Cesar and Celia, have petitioned the Supreme Court for her release, arguing that her continued detention in the Philippines has no legal basis.
