Migrante International
Press release
January 10, 2024
Mary Jane Veloso warmly received her family and supporters who came to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong for a visit to celebrate her 40th birthday on Friday.
At the CIW, family members brought Mary Jane’s favorite foods and shared words of encouragement for the campaign for Veloso’s clemency. Church leaders led a prayer for Mary Jane’s immediate freedom. The OFW victim of human trafficking who had been detained in Indonesia for 14 years is now on her 22nd day of detention at the CIW, where she and her family remain hopeful for her freedom.
“Bagama’t nalulungkot kaming hindi pa rin malaya ang aming Mary Jane sa kanyang kaarawan, lumalakas ang aming loob para ikampanya ang clemency mula kay Pangulong Marcos. Lalaban kami hanggang sa makamit namin ang kalayaan at hustisya” said Celia Veloso, Mary Jane’s mother.
[Though we are saddened because our Mary Jane is still not free on her birthday, we are empowered to continue campaigning for clemency from President Marcos. We will fight for her until we achieve freedom and justice.]
Mary Jane’s family also visited the detained migrant last Christmas Day. Though the family continues to be able to visit Veloso at the CIW, Philippine President Marcos did not grant the family’s wish for holiday clemency.
Supporters from OFW group Migrante International, church leaders from the Save Mary Jane Task Force, and former Representative Ferdinand Gaite of Bayan Muna joined Veloso’s family for the birthday visit. Migrante said that nothing is stopping Marcos from granting Mary Jane’s birthday wish for freedom, a hope shared by the global alliance of Filipino migrants.
“Can we really say that Marcos has a heart if he is leaving Mary Jane, a trafficking victim, to suffer still in detention on her own birthday? Now that she has been in the country for nearly a month, Marcos should use his unbound power to grant her clemency if he truly cares about our OFWs who have become victims of human trafficking. There is no more reason to delay her freedom,” said Joanna Concepcion, chairperson of Migrante International.
Prior to the visit on Friday, supporters and church leaders in Veloso’s home province of Nueva Ecija held an ecumenical gathering on January 9 to show support for her freedom on humanitarian grounds. Mary Jane’s home community continues to await her return with open arms.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Talitha Kum Philippines, the National Council of Churches of the Philippines and other faith-based organizations has also called on Marcos Jr. to grant Veloso full and immediate clemency.
Migrants hold clemency picket, submit petition to Malacañan
Following the birthday visit, Veloso’s family trooped to Mendiola, near Malacañan Palace, to join other migrant families and supporters of Mary Jane in a picket action to call for clemency on humanitarian grounds.
“Hindi pa tapos ang ating sinimulan para kay Mary Jane. Marami na tayong idinasal, marami na tayong martsang ginawa, at iilang taon nang lumipas. Pero kaya pa rin naming umasa sa inyong pakikiisa upang makauwi na si Mary Jane sa amin,” said Celia Veloso to supporters.
[What we started for Mary Jane is not over. We have prayed so much, marched so many times, and many years have gone by. But we can still count on your solidarity so that Mary Jane can come home to us.]
After supporters sent them off, the Veloso family went together with leaders of migrant organizations, faith-based groups, and progressive political partylist, Bayan Muna to Malacañan Palace to deliver the clemency petition to President Marcos Jr. hand-signed by more than 4,000 Filipinos throughout the country. While the online clemency petition for Mary Jane has also garnered more than 3,800 signatures from all over the world. Migrante asserted that national and global pressure is now mounting on Marcos to end Mary Jane’s suffering in detention.
“The clock is now ticking on Marcos to grant Mary Jane clemency. The number of Mary Jane’s supporters continues to grow from the Philippines to beyond. Around the world, we will not stop speaking out until Mary Jane is free,” said Concepcion.
With the transfer of Mary Jane Veloso to the Philippines, over 50 Filipino nationals remain on death row overseas. Migrante asserted that much work needs to be done to address the perils of Philippine labor export to achieve justice for all Filipinos jailed abroad, and for all trafficking victims.
