President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the safety of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina worker who returned home yesterday morning after being detained in Indonesia for nearly 15 years for drug trafficking.
Veloso, for her part, appealed to Mr. Marcos to grant her clemency as she expressed gratefulness for her “new life” following her repatriation after years of negotiations.
“We assure the Filipino people that Ms. Veloso’s safety and welfare is paramount and our agencies in the justice and law enforcement sector shall continue to ensure it, as our Indonesian counterparts have safeguarded it for so long,” the President said.
“We take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the Indonesian government and to all who have extended assistance for the welfare of Ms. Mary Jane Veloso,” he added.
Veloso left Jakarta at 12:53 a.m. yesterday following a handover signing that removed the possibility of her execution.
The agreement between Jakarta and Manila states that she will be transferred as a prisoner with Manila to respect her life sentence, but it will fall under Philippine law upon her return, meaning President Marcos could grant her a reprieve.
Indonesia’s government said it would respect any decision made by Manila.
“This is a new life for me and I will have a new beginning in the Philippines,” Veloso said.
“My appeal to the President is to grant me clemency,” Veloso said in an interview at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City where she will stay for at least 60 days, including a five-day quarantine period.
Her mother Celia Veloso, 65, also called for President Marcos to grant her daughter clemency so she can spend Christmas with her family.
Veloso’s travel document was stamped with a deportation mark and she will be banned from re-entering the country, according to Indonesian officials.
The 39-year-old mother of two was arrested and sentenced to death in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kilograms of heroin, in a case that sparked uproar in the Philippines.
Veloso has long maintained her innocence, claiming she was a victim of human trafficking.
Her arrest has been a rallying point for advocacy groups and successive Philippine administrations, with calls for clemency and justice.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said likewise thanked Indonesia for their “act of compassion.”
“Their act of mercy speaks volumes,” said Remulla.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega added: “The return or transfer of Mary Jane to the Philippines is a win for diplomacy, for good relations between the Philippines and Indonesia.”
“We will abide by the practical arrangement that we signed two weeks ago… We will comply. The Philippines is known to be championing the rule of law. So, to the people of Indonesia, you are true friends of the Philippines,” De Vega added.
As this developed, a party-list lawmaker renewed calls for the immediate and full clemency of Veloso.
“Mary Jane Veloso is a victim, she is 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,” House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela party-list Rep. Brosas said.
“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,” she added.
Senators Call the attention of DFA and DMW on Similar Cases to Mary Jane Veloso
Following the return of Mary Jane Veloso, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudeo stated that this is a “wake up call” to the government to focus on similar situations on other Filipinos abroad.
Senate President Francis Escudero, for his part, called on the DFA to check on other Filipinos incarcerated in other countries.
“I am now asking them to inventory and make an accounting of Filipinos who are incarcerated in a foreign country,the nature of the cases against them, what has or can be done to help them regain their liberty,how we can assist to make their detention,” Escudero said.
Senator Joel Villanueva aired the same sentiment as he urged the DFA and Department of Migrant Workers to check on similar cases, particularly 49 OFWs currently on death row.
“This could also pave the way for our concerned government agencies to explore legal and diplomatic options, including possible commutation of sentence and allowing them to serve their sentence in the Philippines,” Villanueva said. With AFP
