After nearly 15 years of imprisonment in Indonesia for drug trafficking, Mary Jane Veloso has returned to the Philippines. Veloso, who narrowly avoided execution in 2015, is now appealing to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for executive clemency.
Section 19, Article VII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the President, “except in cases of impeachment or as otherwise provided therein, may grant reprieves, commutations and pardons, and remit fines and forfeitures, after conviction by final judgment”
As Veloso awaits the president’s decision, let’s revisit notable pardons and acts of clemency by Philippine leaders:
Jose P. Laurel
Feliciano Lizardo: Pardoned after attempting to assassinate President Laurel at the Wack Wack golf course in 1943.
Manuel Roxas
Proclamation No. 51: Granted general amnesty to individuals charged with collaborating with Imperial Japan during World War II, including Jose P. Laurel.
Elpidio Quirino
Granted executive clemency to 114 Japanese prisoners of war in July 1953, fostering post-war reconciliation.
Ferdinand Marcos
Pardoned Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who continued fighting long after World War II ended.
Pardoned Hadji Kamlon, a Tausug rebel leader.
Fidel V. Ramos
Pardoned Robin Padilla for illegal possession of firearms in 1994, allowing the actor to resume his career.
Granted absolute pardon to Jaime Tadeo, a farmer leader during the Martial Law era.
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Pardoned her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, convicted of plunder, in 2007.
Benigno Aquino III
Pardoned mutiny leaders Antonio Trillanes, Danilo Lim, and Renato Miranda, involved in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
Rodrigo Duterte
Granted an absolute pardon to Robin Padilla in 2016.
Pardoned Joseph Scott Pemberton, a U.S. Marine convicted of homicide, in 2020.
