ph777 casino Mary Jane Veloso's lawyers ask Marcos to grant her clemency
MANILA, Philippines — The protracted campaign to set Mary Jane Veloso free is not yet completeph777 casino, her long-time advocates and lawyers said Wednesday, November 20, as they called for her clemency hours after the president's announcement of her impending return to the Philippines from Indonesia.
While they welcomed news of Veloso's reported transfer to the Philippines, the National Union of People's Lawyers — Veloso's private legal team — are pushing for the Filipina death row inmate's complete exoneration after the 14 years she spent behind bars.
"Even as we continue to pray that Mary Jane will really step foot back in our homeland soon, we call on President Marcos Jr. to accord her immediate clemency on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice," Edre Olalia, NUPL chairperson said in a statement on Wednesday, November 20.
Veloso's homecoming was announced Wednesday by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who said Indonesia granted Manila's request to transfer her to a prison here.
The Philippine government has yet to release the details of the transfer. However, an earlier statement from Indonesia's legal and human rights ministry indicated that they would leave it up to the Philippine government "whether to grant remission or clemency."
The same demand for the president to grant Veloso's clemency was echoed by the migrant workers' rights group Migrante International on Wednesday. They have led the global campaign for Veloso's freedom since her near-execution in 2015 and have described her as a victim of human trafficking.
Veloso has consistently maintained her innocence, saying she was duped by her recruiters into carrying a suitcase lined with heroin. Two of Veloso's recruiters were convicted of large-scale illegal recruitment in 2020.
In Congress, Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela) backed the campaign for Veloso's clemency by challenging Marcos' statements suggesting Veloso had been "held accountable under Indonesian law."
"She is a victim of human trafficking and the government's labor export policy that continues to push Filipino women to work abroad despite the risks," Brosas said.
Veloso — who had attempted to lift her family out of poverty by working as a domestic worker abroad — "should not have been made accountable for anything as she is innocent and a victim of human trafficking," the lawmaker added.
"Justice and support, not victim-blaming, is what Mary Jane needs," Brosas said. "The real perpetrators are the trafficking syndicates that prey on poor Filipino women desperate to provide for their families."
Marcos had previously expressed hope that then-Indonesian president Joko Widodo would grant Veloso clemency.
Veloso's path to freedom nearly ruined by DuterteThe diplomatic breakthrough announced by Marcos on Wednesday culminates a 14 year-battle that former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima described as an effort that "traversed administrations."
De Lima was chief of the Department of Justice when the Philippine government under then-President Benigno Aquino orchestrated the last-minute effort to save Veloso from execution in 2015.
In a statement on Wednesday, De Lima said: "It was a race to work out an agreement with President Widodo, so close that some Philippine dailies released morning editions that reported a supposed execution that, fortunately, did not push through."
The drawn-out campaign to bring Veloso home also faced serious threat under former President Rodrigo Duterte, De Lima added.
"During the time of Duterte, all the credit for staying Mary Jane's execution goes to Indonesia, as then PRRD said his government could not care less if a drug offender like Mary Jane was finally executed," De Lima noted, adding "Buti na lang hindi pa rin natuloy ang pagbitay sa panahon ni Duterte (It's a good thing the execution did not take place during the time of Duterte)."
With President Marcos's announcement of Veloso's transfer of custody, some lawmakers are outlining comprehensive support for her needs this early on. Rep. Marissa del Magsino (OFW Partylist) has vowed to provide immediate assistance "to ensure her wellbeing and her reintegration with her family and community."
Human rights advocates take center stageMigrante International acknowledged the worldwide network that made Veloso's return possible, expressing "deep gratitude to all of Mary Jane's supporters who came from all over the world, who believed Mary Jane's story as a victim of human trafficking and stood alongside her family in their pursuit of justice throughout all these years."
The NUPL similarly thanked "the migrant and church groups and others both in the Philippines and Indonesia and all others who have not lost faith and who hoped that one day she will be home somehow."
Brosas said Veloso's case should lead to broader reforms in protecting overseas workers and trafficking victims.
"Her case should serve as a wake-up call to address the root causes that make Filipino women vulnerable to trafficking and other forms of exploitationph777 casino," she added.