CHR hopes new push to free Mary Jane Veloso leads to her homecoming

FILE PHOTO: Filipino maid Mary Jane Veloso. AP

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed hope that the latest efforts to obtain freedom for Mary Jane Veloso will result in her return to her family.

In a statement Saturday, the constitutional body lauded the administration’s action to assist the family of Veloso and allow them to reach out to the Indonesian government.

Veloso was sentenced to death in 2010 after authorities found 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase at Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto International Airport. In 2015, during the administration of then President Benigno S. Aquino III, the Indonesian government delayed Veloso’s execution after new evidence emerged that she was also victimized by a drug trafficking syndicate.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo embarked on a three-day official visit to the country recently. Malacañang said Indonesia vowed to look into the case of Veloso after Widodo met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“The Commission thus applauds the efforts of the Executive to assist the family of Veloso and allow them to reach out to the Indonesian government to ensure that no Filipino migrant worker falls victim to yet another death sentence,” the CHR said, as it also recognized the proactiveness of the Indonesian government on the matter.

READ: Timeline: The case of Mary Jane Veloso

The CHR then reiterated its commitment to the promotion and protection of the dignity of migrant workers, emphasizing that “borders do not set any limits for the Commission in reaching out to the vulnerable and marginalized.”

“As such, the Commission remains rooted on the provisions of the Migrant Workers Act to ensure that their rights are consistently put on the frontlines of our discussions,” it noted.

READ: Mary Jane Veloso’s fate on the table as Marcos, Widodo meet

“Just as the welfare of overseas Filipinos constitute a large proportion of the country’s interest as a State, it is incumbent upon the Commission and all government agencies to similarly persist through efforts that safeguard our migrant workers and ensure that no violations to their human rights are being committed against them,” it added.