Was it legal, proper and reasonable for President BBM to pardon Mary Jane Veloso for a crime connected to illegal drugs committed in a foreign country, whereby she was arrested, prosecuted and convicted by a foreign court?
The people do not care about the legal nuances and intricacies. Most Filipinos applauded it as a right move. Indeed, one good move by president BBM which earned for him plaudits from the migrant Filipino community and the working class in general was that unexpected absolute pardon of the former death convict in Indonesia, Mary Jane Veloso.
Such a highly popular decision balanced out his controversial postponement of the BSK elections. At least, one good move, and one bad. The president's pardoning power is one of the multiple executive powers and prerogatives vested on him by the Constitution of 1987, specifically, Article VII, Section 19 which declares: "Except in cases of impeachment, or as otherwise provided in this Constitution, the president may grant reprives, commutations and pardons, and remit fines, and forfeitures after conviction by final judgment."
It is commonly opined that Veloso deserves the pardon because she was a victim of illegal recruitment and trafficking in person. She was used by a drug cartel to become an unwitting and unknowing drug courier. She was hoodwinked, deceived and misled by her recruiter who was in turn being used by an African drug syndicate operating in the southeast Asian countries. She was already incarcerated for 14 years in Malaysia and more in the Philippines. She is a solo parent with children to care for and support.
If president GMA could extend such presidential pardon to characters like former congressman Romeo Jalosjos, who was arrested, charged, prosecuted and convicted of statutory rape of a very young girl, why not for Mary Jane Veloso who was not committing a crime with impunity. If GMA could even pardon Erap Estrada whom she unseated from the Palace, for a crime involving moral turpitude, why not an OFW who was just trying to help her family by working abroad?
If such a character as Robinhood Padilla, who was well known for his moniker as "bad boy" was pardoned conditionally first by president FVR and then absolutely and unconditionally by president Rodrigo Duterte, how much more for a mother who was trying to work as a domestic helper. Sara Balabagan, who murdered her rapist in the United Arab Emirates by stabbing her 34 times, was found deserving by the king of the United Arab Emirates and was saved from her death sentence. Veloso did not kill anyone.
Flor Contemplacion was falsely accused of strangling to death her friend and kumadre, Delia Maga and of drowning a four-year old boy, Nicholas Wong in Singapore. She was arrested, jailed, allegedly tortured, and supposedly compelled to sign a confession without assistance of a lawyer. She was unlucky because the Singapore president refused to pardon her despite the triple attempts of president FVR for clemency. But Veloso is luckier and she didn't kill anyone, nor was charged with any murder.
Therefore, we submit that President BBM's exercise of his presidential pardoning power was well-taken. It was a wise decision and Mary Jane Veloso is truly deserving of the same.