On the occasion of Veloso’s 40th birthday, her lawyers raised to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s inaction on her clemency appeal.
Edre Olalia, one of the lawyers working on the case, pointed out that Indonesia remains open to a decision from the Philippines, with the UAE just having granted amnesty to 220 Filipino citizens.
However, the Palace has not given any statement or any response so far.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers renewed its call for mercy, stressing the necessity of giving Veloso justice, freedom, and dignity. They also stressed the other underlying issue of human trafficking, which they claimed is at the heart of her indictment.
Veloso, convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia, was sent back to her homeland, the Philippines, in December 2024. Marcos had earlier made it clear that granting clemency to Veloso was “unlikely,” along with a rejection on the advice of, among others, law experts and advocacy groups.
Veloso’s advocates press that the case is not just about her freedom but a larger fight against exploitation and human trafficking of vulnerable people.
