The family of Mary Jane Veloso spent Christmas with her for the first time in 15 years.
This will be the family’s second visit inside the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong, where Veloso has been detained since she arrived in the country last Wednesday.
According to Celia Veloso, Mary Jane’s mother, a total of 23 family members will celebrate Christmas on Wednesday with Mary Jane, including her two sons, Danielle, and Darren Candelaria, as well as Mary Jane’s three sisters, grandparents, aunts, nieces and nephews, ABS-CBN News reported.
The family also prepared some of Mary Jane’s favorite food. The family arrived at the correctional facility around 7:30 in the morning and was allowed to stay with Veloso until this afternoon.
Earlier, an international group of lawyers urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant an absolute pardon to Veloso.
The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) in a statement said: “We implore the Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to free Mary Jane Veloso, by way of absolute pardon on compassionate grounds, in this, the Season of Peace.”
“Veloso suffered long enough and the grant of clemency is primarily a presidential prerogative which may be given purely on a humanitarian basis, without the need of a lengthy administrative and legal review by experts. Justice delayed is justice denied,” it said.
Veloso’s family and several organizations, including Gabriela, have appealed for absolute clemency for Veloso following her repatriation. However, Marcos Jr. previously said that the possibility of granting her clemency is still “far off.”
Veloso, who spent 14 years in a detention facility in Indonesia, finally arrived in Manila early Wednesday morning, marking a significant win for Philippine diplomacy.
Her return culminates an arduous legal battle for the Philippine government started by the late President Benigno Aquino III, who saved Veloso from imminent death in 2015, and continued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who now has the authority to grant her clemency.
