EDITORIAL — DOJ’s challenge

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that it will be up to the Department of Justice to ultimately decide whether or not to grant a pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina who was languishing in jail in Indonesia for almost 15 years after she was arrested for drug trafficking.

As the story goes, Veloso didn’t smuggle drugs willingly, but was being used as a mule when she was arrested. She grabbed headlines a long time ago when she narrowly escaped execution in Indonesia.

And now she is grabbing headlines again with her return home to the Philippines with the concurrence of Indonesian authorities.

Now people are clamoring for Veloso to be pardoned for her alleged crime so she can be free again.

We don’t envy the position DOJ is in.

One on hand giving a pardon to Veloso would be a form of justice. After all, it would seem that only the rich and connected get pardoned for their crimes and their records expunged in this country, allowing them back into society scot-free and even letting them get elected into office.

Why shouldn’t a similar opportunity to be given to those who don’t belong to this privileged social class?

There is also no doubt that a pardon will put a bow on a gift that has long been wanted; a happy ending that will make many people look and feel good.

On the other hand, giving that pardon will make our judiciary system look weak. There will always be the perception that magistrates will be giving in to public pressure instead of sticking to their principles and the rule of law. There will always be the perception that our justice system can easily be swayed this way or that.

Either way this goes there will be critics and people who won’t agree with the decision. Not to mention consequences.

For now, the DOJ has passed the ball to the Board of Pardons and Parole; they must come up with a recommendation on the case of Veloso before they can do anything. Let’s see where this goes.