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The parents of Filipina death row convict Mary Jane Veloso during the Bonifacio Day protest in Mendiola, November 30, 2024. Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

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Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17338905172031732950480383113024_Mary Jane Veloso.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The parents of Filipina death row convict Mary Jane Veloso during the Bonifacio Day protest in Mendiola, November 30, 2024. Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — A House resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant clemency to Mary Jane Veloso was filed on Wednesday by three congressmen from the Makabayan bloc.</p><p>They asserted that Veloso, who was convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia in 2010, was not a drug mule and was a victim of human trafficking.</p><p>“Hindi krimen ang pagiging mahirap… Ito pong case ni Mary Jane Veloso ay isang classic example kung paano nagiging bulnerable ang ating mga OFW sa kung anu-anong krimen,” House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said.</p><p>“On behalf of the family ni Mary Jane Veloso, nananawagan kami kay President Marcos Jr. na kapag umuwi na dito si Mary Jane ay i-grant na iyong clemency at kami po ay nananawagan din kay Speaker na sana ay matulungan natin ang pamilya Veloso sa kanilang hiling,” she said. </p><p>“Sana ay maging Christmas gift ng pamahalaan itong pagsasama ni Mary Jane Veloso kasama ang kaniyang pamilya, sana ay makapag-celebrate sila ng Pasko, si Mary Jane kasama ang kaniyang mga anak at iba pang kamag-anak,” Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel added.</p><p>During the filing of House Resolution 2128, the opposition lawmakers were joined by Veloso’s parents, who made the same appeal to the chief executive.</p><p>“Magla-labinlimang taon na siya sa kulungan nang wala namang kasalanan. Umamin na iyong talagang may-ari at nahatulan na rin, nakulong na. Kaya sana po ipagkaloob na nila ‘yung clemency kay Mary Jane,” Veloso’s mother Celia said.</p><p>“Ang mensahe ko po sa ating Pangulo, na sana po paglapag na si Mary Jane dito sa Pilipinas, nakasalubong na ‘yung clemency sa kanya para dire-diretso na po at masaya yung Pasko po namin,” Veloso’s father Cesar added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/9/indonesia-wants-mary-jane-veloso-back-in-ph-for-christmas-doj-1507">Indonesia wants Mary Jane Veloso back in Philippines for Christmas: DOJ</a></div><p>Meanwhile, 1-RIDER party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez said that while granting of clemency is an “executive act”, the government should not send a message that criminal acts committed abroad would be condoned. </p><p>“She is going to be back home, where she will be tried by our laws, by Filipino judges, by the Filipino people. The question now of extending clemency, just because it was from a case abroad, I think that’s another issue, and personally, I think it’s a touchy subject. I don’t think we should send a message that we condone criminal acts done abroad,” Gutierrez said.</p><p>I could see one thing possibly is that she has already served her time. That might be one aspect to it. So we have to see first and foremost if she will be considered guilty under our laws and second, if the time she served abroad would be sufficient to cover that. If that is where the resolution is coming from, then I could see siguro po more support coming from this House,” he added.</p><p>Marcos Jr. previously announced that Manila and Jakarta mutually agreed on Veloso’s return to the Philippines, following years of negotiations and diplomacy. </p><p>The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs had said the Indonesian government was open to the possible eventual grant of clemency to Veloso in the Philippines.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/9/chr-welcomes-positive-developments-in-mary-jane-veloso-case-upcoming-return-to-ph-1039">CHR welcomes &#x27;positive developments&#x27; in Mary Jane Veloso case, upcoming return to PH</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/19/transfer-of-mary-jane-veloso-to-a-ph-facility-being-discussed-with-indonesia-dfa-1438"></a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/19/transfer-of-mary-jane-veloso-to-a-ph-facility-being-discussed-with-indonesia-dfa-1438">Mary Jane Veloso&#x27;s transfer to PH facility under discussion with Indonesia: DFA</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/12/01/23/doj-to-recommend-close-to-1000-pdls-for-clemency"></a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/12/01/23/doj-to-recommend-close-to-1000-pdls-for-clemency">DOJ to recommend close to 1,000 PDLs for executive clemency</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oo1hfF3M6Dw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>A House resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant clemency to Mary Jane Veloso was filed on Wednesday by three congressmen from the Makabayan bloc.</p>

A House resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant clemency to Mary Jane Veloso was filed on Wednesday by three congressmen from the Makabayan bloc.

House resolution seeks Marcos clemency for Mary Jane Veloso

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House resolution seeks Marcos clemency for Mary Jane Veloso

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 11, 2024 12:46 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 11, 2024 03:03 PM PHT

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