Windows26: Weekend Roundup: Mary Jane Veloso’s possible return, Sara Duterte’s House visit, Gilas’ historic victory, and more

Hi, reader!

This week, we covered Mary Jane Veloso's possible return to the Philippines, VP Duterte's House visit controversy, and Gilas Pilipinas' historic win over New Zealand.

This is your Weekend Roundup, your weekly fix for everything you need to catch up.

'COMING HOME'

Veloso will return

After 10 years of diplomacy and consultation regarding her case, Mary Jane Veloso will finally be sent back to the Philippines from Indonesia, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed. In a statement, Marcos said the Philippine and Indonesian governments agreed to bring Veloso back to the country.

Manila and Jakarta agreed on Veloso's return to the Philippines, but it remains unclear if she would still be imprisoned upon her return. For Veloso's mother, it would be better for her daughter to stay detained in Indonesia than be jailed in the Philippines.

Former Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson expressed his hopes that drug convict Mary Jane Veloso will be granted "a presidential pardon or at least her early release from confinement based on good conduct time allowance."

However, the Philippine government cannot automatically grant clemency to Mary Jane Veloso upon her return, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official said, citing the bad impression it could project to the international community.

HOUSE DRAMA

Sara stays at House

Vice President Sara Duterte was asked to leave the House of Representatives premises on Thursday night after visiting her chief-of-staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, but she did not heed the request of House officials, according to the chamber's leaders.

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro criticized Duterte's visit, saying the vice president apparently has the time to visit a detained official even late at night, but not for the investigation into her office's alleged anomalous fund utilization.

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua also asked if lawmakers still have to remind Duterte to follow rules as she insisted on staying inside the House on Thursday night despite repeated requests for her to leave.

Coming to his sister's defense, Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo "Pulong" Duterte allowed her to stay "indefinitely" in his House office. Pulong informed the House committee on good government and public accountability chair Chua that he has given his sister permission to stay in his office.

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