Cesar Veloso, alongside Filipino church leaders, appealed for full clemency for his daughter, Mary Jane Veloso, calling it “the greatest Christmas gift” his family could ever receive.
He made the appeal during a candle-lighting ceremony held after a Holy Eucharist celebration at Sto. Niño de Violago Church in Quezon City on Nov. 26.
“I call on our President to allow Mary Jane to come straight home upon her arrival in the country. If that happens, it will be the greatest Christmas gift we could ever receive,” Cesar said in Filipino.
On Nov. 20, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the Philippine and Indonesian governments have initiated discussions regarding the possible turnover of Mary Jane to a Philippine prison to serve her sentence.
Marcos Jr. also said that Indonesia has “no interest in detaining” and “no interest in executing” Mary Jane, who has been in jail in Indonesia for nearly 15 years for drug trafficking charges.
Mary Jane was convicted of drug trafficking in 2010 after authorities discovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin concealed in her luggage upon her arrival in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
“But if you will put Mary Jane in jail when she arrives, please put her in a safe place where her recruiters have no access. I fear for the life of my daughter,” Cesar said.
Mary Jane has consistently maintained her innocence, asserting that she was unaware of the drugs and was duped into transporting them by her recruiters, whom she alleges exploited her desperation for employment.
In his homily, Fr. Noel Gatchalian, SVD, highlighted that it was the collective efforts of Filipinos that influenced the Indonesian government to grant a temporary reprieve for Mary Jane Veloso’s execution in 2015.
“Now that she’s returning to the country and is no longer on death row, though she still has to serve a life sentence, it is our collective action that can compel President Marcos Jr. to grant her full clemency and allow her to live a normal life with her sons,” the priest said.
Joanna Concepcion, chairperson of Migrante International, stressed that Mary Jane Veloso is a victim of human trafficking.
Cesar Veloso, father of Mary Jane Veloso, holds a candle with a photo of his daughter during a vigil at Sto. Niño de Violago Church in Quezon City on November 26. The gathering called for clemency and justice for Mary Jane, a victim of human trafficking who has spent nearly 15 years in an Indonesian prison. Photo by Mark Saludes
She added that the Philippine government must ensure her traffickers are held accountable for their crimes and “for the years that Mary Jane suffered in prison.”
Sister Evelyn Jose of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters said Mary Jane is among many women migrant workers, from impoverished backgrounds, who have been preyed upon by illegal recruiters and human traffickers.
“The pending return of Mary Jane Veloso to her homeland will shine as beacon of hope for migrant workers around the world, especially for those who feel abandoned and neglected and who face unjust detention, the harsh realities of exploitation, and injustice,” she said.
The missionary nun stressed that human trafficking victims “should be protected while the real perpetrators of human trafficking–those who deceive and prey on the innocent, vulnerable and desperate–should be prosecuted and convicted.”
