The prison transfer of Filipino death row convict Mary Jane Veloso to the Philippines from an Indonesian jail can be considered a triumph for victims of human trafficking and their support groups, according to migrant workers group Migrante International.
“The world has been a witness to Mary Jane’s case as a victim of human trafficking. Her case has drawn attention to the plight of Filipino migrant workers who fall prey to traffickers, a stark reality for many,” Migrante chair Joanna Concepcion said.
“This is a crucial step in demonstrating compassion for Veloso’s plight and acknowledging her victimization that led to her imprisonment,” she added.
On April 15, 2010, Veloso was apprehended at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta after 2.6 kilograms of heroin was found concealed in the lining of her suitcase. In October 2010, she was sentenced to death by firing squad, which made international headlines. In August 2011, then President Benigno Aquino III requested clemency for Veloso, which was rejected by then Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The Aquino administration issued more letters appealing for her clemency.
Veloso was set to be executed by firing squad on April 29, 2015, when she was granted a last-minute reprieve after Cristina Sergio, her alleged recruiter, surrendered to the Philippine police. She, however, remained on death row.
Veloso was set to arrive in Manila on Wednesday, after 14 years of serving her sentence in an Indonesian jail. Now 39, she calls her repatriation a miracle which also fulfills her family’s hope for her to spend Christmas in the country after years of incarceration in a foreign land.
The story of Mary Jane Veloso is a tragic one, but a positive takeaway for Filipinos is that it raised awareness on the scourge of human trafficking and the dangers and consequences of being turned into an unknowing drug mule.
Her return to the country alive, despite her long and perilous stay in death row, is a testament of the work of our government, present and previous. However, the continued threat that human trafficking poses on vulnerable Filipinos remains, and our government has to do more to protect that sector of our population, in order to ensure that we don’t have any more Mary Jane Velosos.*
