IADL urges Marcos Jr. to pardon Mary Jane Veloso

The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to immediately grant absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso, who returned home to the Philippines after nearly 15 years in Indonesian detention.

Veloso's Philippine lawyer, Atty. Edre Olalia, shared an IADL statement calling on President Marcos Jr. to use his power to grant clemency based on humanitarian grounds and dismissed the Department of Justice's proposal for good conduct time allowance.

The IADL highlighted Veloso's case as an example of human trafficking and compared it to the release of Australian Bali 9 death row convicts upon their transfer from Indonesia, urging Marcos Jr. to act swiftly in granting clemency on compassionate grounds.

Atty. Olalia emphasized that granting absolute pardon is solely within President Marcos Jr.'s discretion and that justice delayed is justice denied.

Veloso's family and several organizations have appealed for her clemency following her repatriation, while the president previously stated that the possibility of granting clemency remains 'far off'.

The IADL also called on other host governments to facilitate the repatriation of 59 Filipinos on death row worldwide, setting a precedent with Veloso's case.

Veloso has the opportunity to testify against her traffickers upon her return to the Philippines and aid in pursuing justice; her next hearing is scheduled for February 19, 2025.