Malacañang on Friday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. would consider the appeal for executive clemency for Mary Jane Veloso who spent 14 years in prison in Indonesia for drug trafficking.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said while she could not confirm whether the President had received the petition, she assured the public that the request would be forwarded to his office.

“Kung wala naman tayong malalabag na batas at ito ay ikakabuti ng ating kababayan, makakakuha naman tayo po malamang ng positibong reaksyon dito,” Castro said.

Veloso’s parents, joined by civil society groups, marched to Malacañang on Friday to submit a clemency petition bearing the signatures of more than 13,000 supporters of the imprisoned Filipino overseas worker.

The appeal urges the President to grant clemency before his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28.

Veloso was repatriated to the Philippines last December, after years of diplomatic efforts by the Philippine government. She is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.

President Marcos has acknowledged the continued efforts by his administration and two previous administrations to seek clemency, commutation of sentence, and Veloso’s eventual return to the country.

Veloso’s repatriation was made possible through the close coordination of President Marcos with the Indonesian government under President Prabowo Subianto. | PND