Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Mary Jane Veloso reunites with her family after arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong on December 18, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751612440292Screen Shot 2025-07-04 at 3.00.14 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mary Jane Veloso reunites with her family after arriving at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong on December 18, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED) </strong>— Religious and civil society groups on Friday renewed calls for Mary Jane Veloso’s clemency and eventual freedom, reiterating that she was a victim of trafficking and deception when she was arrested in Indonesia. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/18/timeline-mary-jane-veloso-s-decade-long-ordeal-from-indonesian-death-row-to-miracle-homecoming-1327" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TIMELINE: Mary Jane Veloso&#x27;s decade-long ordeal from Indonesian death row to &#x27;miracle&#x27; homecoming</a></div><p>The United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Churches Witnessing with Migrants, Caritas Philippines, Migrante International, and the National Union of People’s Lawyers led the calls and petitions urging the President for Veloso&#x27;s release.</p><p>Cesar, Mary Jane&#x27;s father, was in tears during the press conference in urging the President to free his daughter.</p><p>“Bigyan niyo na ng clemency para makapiling na namin at ang kanyang mga kapatid at kanyang mga anak. Parang awa niyo na,” Cesar said.</p><p>(Please give her clemency so she can be with us, her siblings and her children. Please have mercy)</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fvideos%2F714691264528892%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/17/mary-jane-veloso-arrives-in-ph-after-14-year-imprisonment-in-indonesia-0601"><strong></strong></a></div><p>In a briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said she has no updates on the case but assured the public President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would receive Velosos&#x27; letter seeking clemency for their daughter.</p><p>“At kung wala naman tayong malalabag na batas at ito ay ikakabuti ng ating kababayan makakakuha naman tayo po malamang ng positibong reaksiyon dito,” Castro said.</p><p>(And if it will not violate any laws and will improve the lives of fellow Filipinos, we will likely get a positive response to this)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/17/mary-jane-veloso-arrives-in-ph-after-14-year-imprisonment-in-indonesia-0601"><strong>Mary Jane Veloso arrives in PH after 14-year imprisonment in Indonesia</strong></a></div><p>Mary Jane&#x27;s mother Celia said she hopes her daughter would be able to come home while there is still time left.</p><p>“Sa totoo lang, napakaraming pangarap ng aking anak na hindi natupad... Nangarap siya mangibang bansa para baguhin ang buhay ng kanyang mga anak,” said her mother Celia.</p><p>(To be honest, my daughter had so many dreams that are unfulfilled. She hoped to go abroad to change her children&#x27;s lives)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/13/mary-jane-veloso-says-planned-transfer-to-ph-a-miracle-1638"><strong>Mary Jane Veloso says planned transfer to PH a &#x27;miracle&#x27;</strong></a></div><p>According to Celia, the other prisoners released by Indonesia along with her daughter were repatriated and freed in their home countries.</p><p>“Lima silang pinalaya sa Indonesia, yung <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/26/veloso-lawyer-ph-can-take-cue-from-australia-s-release-of-bali-nine-convicts-1226">4 balik sa bahay</a>, bakit si Mary Jane sa kulungan siya dumiretso?” she said.</p><p>(Indonesia released five convicts. The four are already in their homes. How come Mary Jane was just brought to prison?)</p><p>Celia was citing the case of the five members of the Australian &quot;Bali Nine&quot; drug ring who were jailed for 19 years in Indonesia and are now back in their country without serving any more prison time.</p><p>“Bakit, ano pa ang dapat pagdusahan ng aking anak dito? Nagdusa na siya sa Indonesia ng [maraming] taon, nagmamakaaawa ako sa inyo mahal na Pangulo,” she said.</p><p>(What more does my daughter have to suffer? She has already done it in Indonesia for many years. We are begging you, Mr. President)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/22/wrap-why-a-migrant-workers-group-considers-mary-jane-veloso-a-hero-2018"><strong>Why a migrant workers&#x27; group considers Mary Jane Veloso a hero<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>TRIAL UPDATE</strong></div><p>Lawyer Josa Deinla of the National Union of People’s Lawyers said while hearings for Mary Jane’s trial are already scheduled, they are still awaiting the authority of the Supreme Court to hold these inside the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong.</p><p>She said they have already filed a motion for the Regional Trial Court in Nueva Ecija to inform the Supreme Court they are seeking permission to hold the hearings at CIW to &quot;facilitate her testimony in person before the judge.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/21/saved-from-death-row-mary-jane-veloso-elated-1435">Saved from death row, Mary Jane Veloso &#x27;elated&#x27;</a></div><p>Should Veloso be granted clemency, she would still need to testif as a key witness in estafa, illegal recruitment and trafficking cases in court.</p><p>“Only Mary Jane knows what happened from the time she was recruited up to the time she was arrested in Indonesia for a crime she did not commit,” the lawyer said.</p><p>She said Mary Jane&#x27;s testimony is important for her to get justice.</p><div> </div><div><strong>CLEMENCY BEFORE SONA?</strong></div><p>Migrante International’s Joanna Concepcion thanked all the supporters, community leaders, and churches who supported and amplified their calls for Mary Jane’s release. </p><p>Concepcion hoped, however, that Mary Jane’s clemency will be announced before Marcos&#x27; fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) later this month.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/11/velosos-parents-appeal-for-executive-clemency-for-daughter-mary-jane-2147">Veloso&#x27;s parents appeal for executive clemency for daughter Mary Jane</a></div><p>“Mahalaga ang desisyon ng Pangulo sa kaso ni Mary Jane dahil nananatili at lumalaganap ang krimen at kaso ng human trafficking na naranasan ni Mary Jane. Lalong tumindi ang kaso ng human trafficking,” she added.</p><p>(The President&#x27;s decision on Mary Jane&#x27;s case is important because human trafficking continues and has become prevalent. Cases of human trafficking are getting worse)</p><p>Mary Jane’s family, church leaders, and other representatives went to Malacañang immediately after the press briefing to submit the petitions and letters calling for her release.</p><p>In December, Marcos said the possible grant of clemency for Mary Jane Veloso depends on &quot;the judgement of our legal experts.&quot; </p><p>Veloso was arrested and sentenced to death by Indonesian authorities in 2010 after 2.6 kilograms of heroin was found in her luggage.</p><p>She narrowly escaped death in 2015 after her recruiters were arrested shortly before her scheduled execution.</p><p>Veloso had called her transfer to the Philippines a &quot;miracle.” <strong>— with a report from Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</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/1tZSwlXbp9Q?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div><div><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/bgC1rdTYuKc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>“Lima silang pinalaya sa Indonesia, yung 4 balik sa bahay, bakit si Mary Jane sa kulungan siya dumiretso?” Velosos' mother Celia said.</p>

“Lima silang pinalaya sa Indonesia, yung 4 balik sa bahay, bakit si Mary Jane sa kulungan siya dumiretso?” Velosos' mother Celia said.

'Parang awa niyo na': Veloso family, supporters renew call for Marcos clemency

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'Parang awa niyo na': Veloso family, supporters renew call for Marcos clemency

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 04, 2025 03:39 PM PHT

|

Updated Jul 09, 2025 07:15 PM PHT

Read More:

Mary Jane Veloso

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr

clemency

executive clemency

Malacanang

drug trafficking

crime

victim

OFW

drug mule

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