Mary Jane Veloso in a jail facility in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (PHOTO COURTESY OF VELOSO FAMILY)
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc renewed its call for clemency for Mary Jane Veloso, who returned home Wednesday morning after more than 14 years on death row in Indonesia.
In a statement on Wednesday, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas maintained that Veloso is a victim, and not a criminal, as she was supposedly tricked by illegal recruiters into bringing illegal drugs into Indonesia.
“Mary Jane Veloso is a victim, hindi siya kriminal (she’s not a criminal). She is a victim of human trafficking and the government’s labor export policy that continues to push our women to work abroad despite the risks,” Brosas said.
“Labing apat na taon nang nagdurusa si Mary Jane at ang kanyang pamilya. The Indonesian government has already shown compassion by temporarily releasing her. Now is the time for the Philippine government to take decisive action and grant her full clemency,” she added.
(Mary Jane and her family have suffered for 14 years already.)
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said that while Veloso’s return is a welcome development, it is incomplete as she will remain behind bars.
“Mary Jane’s return, while welcome, is incomplete justice. She remains effectively a prisoner despite being a verified victim of human trafficking. Ang tunay na hustisya ay ang kanyang ganap na kalayaan at pagkakaroon ng marangal na kabuhayan dito sa ating bansa,” Castro said.
(Real justice means her complete freedom and the opportunity for a dignified livelihood in our country.)
Veloso was arrested on April 25, 2010, at the Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after she was caught in possession of more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin.
She, however, claimed that she had no idea that the illegal substance was stashed in her luggage.
Despite this, Veloso was convicted of drug trafficking and was sentenced to death.
Veloso came close several times to being executed, but then-president Benigno Aquino III and his officials intervened, noting that the convicted individual could be used as a witness to go after drug syndicates.
A breakthrough happened recently when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the Philippine and Indonesian governments had agreed to bring Veloso back to Manila after 10 years of diplomacy and consultation.
After hearing this news, Brosas, Castro, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel filed House Resolution (HR) No. 2128, which urges the entire House to call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant Veloso clemency.
“We call on President Marcos Jr. to immediately act on Mary Jane’s case. Her continued detention is a grave injustice to a woman who was merely trying to provide for her family but ended up being exploited by trafficking syndicates,” Brosas said.
Before this, though, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said that clemency might not look good as the Philippines cannot just disregard the judgment of the Indonesian court.