Toronto: Malaca±ang said Friday (Canada time) the appeal for executive clemency for Mary Jane Veloso, who remains in state custody after her return to the Philippines from Indonesia, will be relayed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Speaking to reporters at the Sutton Place Hotel here, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the appeal for clemency has not yet formally reached the President but assured that it will be properly transmitted through the appropriate channels.

According to Philippines News Agency, Veloso was arrested in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kg. of heroin in her suitcase. She was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death. She was later granted a last-minute reprieve after the Philippine government informed Indonesia that her alleged recruiters had surrendered.

In September 2022, Marcos raised Veloso's case during his meeting with then-President Joko Widodo in Indonesia. More than two years later, Marcos announced that Veloso would be repatriated to the Philippines to serve the remainder of her sentence. Veloso arrived in the Philippines on Dec. 18, 2024, and was brought to the Correctional Institute for Women to continue serving her sentence.

The administration has previously maintained that matters involving convicted Filipinos are handled through diplomatic channels in coordination with host governments. Veloso and her family have repeatedly appealed for executive clemency, citing her alleged status as a victim of human trafficking.