Civil society and church groups have once again appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant clemency to Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina formerly on death row in Indonesia, now detained in the Philippines following her repatriation in December 2024.
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Caritas Philippines, Migrante International, and the National Union of People’s Lawyers led the renewed call for her freedom, asserting that Veloso was a victim of human trafficking and deception.
Mary Jane’s father, Cesar Veloso, could not hold back his tears during a press conference as he pleaded directly to the President. “Bigyan niyo na ng clemency para makapiling na namin at ang kanyang mga kapatid at kanyang mga anak. Parang awa niyo na,” he said in an ABS-CBN News report.
Veloso is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong after being transferred from Indonesia under a bilateral agreement between the two countries. Her mother, Celia, expressed frustration that while other foreign inmates in Indonesia were allowed to return home freely, Mary Jane was immediately placed back in detention upon arrival.
“Lima silang pinalaya sa Indonesia, yung 4 balik sa bahay, bakit si Mary Jane sa kulungan siya dumiretso?” she asked, referring to other foreign prisoners who were allowed to go home after their release.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, in a briefing covered by 24 Oras, said the President has yet to make a decision on the clemency plea but assured that he will personally receive the petition. “At kung wala naman tayong malalabag na batas at ito ay ikakabuti ng ating kababayan makakakuha naman tayo po malamang ng positibong reaksiyon dito,” Castro noted.
Lawyer Josa Deinla of the National Union of People’s Lawyers said they have filed a motion with the Regional Trial Court in Nueva Ecija to request permission from the Supreme Court to hold hearings at the women’s facility, so Veloso can testify in person as a key witness in related trafficking and illegal recruitment cases.
“Only Mary Jane knows what happened from the time she was recruited up to the time she was arrested in Indonesia for a crime she did not commit,” Deinla stressed.
Despite her repatriation, Veloso’s legal battle continues. Her supporters are hoping clemency will be granted before the President delivers his upcoming State of the Nation Address.
“Mahalaga ang desisyon ng Pangulo sa kaso ni Mary Jane dahil nananatili at lumalaganap ang krimen at kaso ng human trafficking na naranasan ni Mary Jane,” said Migrante International’s Joanna Concepcion, who also thanked the communities and church groups who have rallied behind Veloso’s cause.
Veloso was arrested in 2010 after heroin was found in her luggage at an Indonesian airport. She was sentenced to death but was granted a last-minute reprieve in 2015 when her recruiters were arrested and charged in the Philippines. Her return to the country in late 2024 was widely seen as a step toward justice—but advocates say that justice remains incomplete without her release.
