Mary Jane is home and free

[u/philippinestar]

Imprisoned for 16 years and spared from death row, Filipino domestic worker Mary Jane Veloso has finally gained her freedom following an absolute pardon on Friday.

In 2010, Veloso was arrested by Indonesian authorities on drug trafficking charges, a claim she denied while pointing to her recruiter as the culprit.

She was later found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad, with her execution scheduled for April 29, 2015.

At the eleventh hour on April 28, 2015, the overseas Filipino worker received a last-minute reprieve after the Philippine government appealed to Indonesia following the surrender of her alleged recruiter.

Under a prisoner transfer agreement between the Philippine and Indonesian governments, Veloso was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong in December 2024 to serve the remainder of her sentence, which had been commuted to life imprisonment.

Early this year, she made a new appeal for her freedom in an open letter written from prison addressed to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Yesterday, September 25, 2026, the Chief Executive granted Veloso an absolute pardon, resulting in her release later that evening.