
Advocates say her case spotlights the dangers Philippine workers face overseas and Manila’s inability to sufficiently protect its citizens
Migrant rights advocates hailed the release of Filipino trafficking victim Mary Jane Veloso after 16 years in detention following a presidential pardon, warning her case exposes ongoing dangers for vulnerable workers overseas.
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Mary Jane Veloso was arrested in 2010 in Yogyakarta after 2.6kg of heroin was found in her luggage. She received an absolute pardon from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr after years on death row.
Advocates say her case spotlights the dangers Philippine workers face overseas and Manila’s inability to sufficiently protect its citizens
Migrant rights advocates have hailed the release of Filipino trafficking victim Mary Jane Veloso after 16 years in detention as a victorious milestone, but warn that her case exposes the dangers that still confront many vulnerable Philippine workers overseas.
After coming harrowingly close to being executed years ago in Indonesia, Veloso walked free on Friday night from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, grateful for the absolute pardon granted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.
Marcos’ action removes the remaining criminal liability from Veloso’s drug conviction and restores her civil and political rights, closing a long chapter that began with her 2010 arrest in Yogyakarta after 2.6kg of heroin was found hidden in her luggage – drugs she insisted she did not knowingly carry.
The single mother of two said she was deceived by recruiters who promised her a job abroad as a domestic helper – leading advocates to argue she was a victim of human trafficking.
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