Mary Jane Veloso, a single mother from Nueva Ecija, secured a presidential pardon from President Bongbong Marcos on Thursday, September 24. The pardon arrives eleven years after civic engagement efforts mobilized around her case, following her 2010 arrest and subsequent conviction for drug smuggling in Indonesia after being tricked.
The Road to Freedom and the 2015 Execution Stay
Veloso faced execution in April 2015 at Wirogunan prison in Indonesia. In the days leading up to the scheduled execution, the civic engagement arm MovePH amplified a Change.org petition launched by the Promotion of Church People’s Response and the network of Church Task Force to Save the Life of Mary Jane Veloso. MovePH published the call and embedded action buttons across related articles, sparking a global conversation that vaulted the petition into the top ten most signed globally over that weekend, prompting Indonesian counterparts to defer the execution.
Did You Know? The viral petition that helped stay Mary Jane Veloso’s execution in April 2015 reached the top 10 most-signed petitions globally over a single weekend after digital engagement tools were deployed across digital coverage.
Repatriation to Manila and Final Pardon
Following the stay of execution, Veloso remained imprisoned in Indonesia for an additional decade before being repatriated to Manila in 2025. Upon return, she was initially sent to a correctional facility for women. President Marcos’s subsequent grant of executive clemency now allows the single mother from Cabanatuan to walk free, concluding a multi-year legal and advocacy campaign supported by volunteer lawyers and local communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mary Jane Veloso?
She is a single mother from Nueva Ecija who was tricked into smuggling drugs into Indonesia in 2010 and later sentenced to death before receiving a presidential pardon.
When was Mary Jane Veloso pardoned?
President Bongbong Marcos granted her a presidential pardon on Thursday, September 24.
What role did advocacy groups play in her case?
Civic organizations, including MovePH and church networks, drove a global petition that pushed Indonesian authorities to stay her scheduled 2015 execution.
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