Resolution filed to seek Marcos clemency for Mary Jane Veloso

Mary Jane Veloso —PHOTO COURTESY OF VELOSO FAMILY

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution urging the House of Representatives to call on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to grant Mary Jane Veloso clemency has been filed due to the belief that the overseas worker was a victim of illegal recruitment.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, accompanied by her fellow Makabayan bloc lawmakers and women’s rights advocates, filed on Wednesday House Resolution (HR) No. 2128, which calls on Marcos to grant clemency to Veloso, with respect to her conviction in Indonesia for drug trafficking.

Veloso’s relatives were also present when the resolution was filed.

According to Brosas, Veloso’s case highlights problems caused by an overseas worker-centric policy — as Veloso, who hoped to find a job in Indonesia, appeared to fall victim to a drug trafficking scheme and was arrested at the Yogyakarta airport last April 2010 for bringing 2.6 kilograms of heroin hidden in her luggage.

READ: Marcos vows to make overseas work a choice, not a necessity

Veloso claimed she had no idea that the illegal substance was stashed in her luggage.

“Mary Jane Veloso’s case starkly illustrates how the government’s labor export policy continues to endanger Filipino women. Desperately seeking work abroad due to the lack of decent jobs at home, our women become vulnerable to trafficking syndicates and exploitation. Hindi dapat ginagawang kalakal ang ating mga kababayan (Filipino workers should not be turned into commodities),” Brosas said.

“How long will the government continue sending our people abroad to face risks and dangers?  President Marcos Jr. must urgently grant clemency to Mary Jane and prioritize policies that promote genuine national industrialization and agricultural development to create decent jobs in the country,” she added.

After her conviction, Veloso was scheduled several times for an execution.  However, these were deferred after an appeal from the Philippine government.

READ: WHAT WENT BEFORE: Duterte on Veloso case 

However, a breakthrough happened recently when Marcos announced that Veloso was coming home to the country, as the Philippine and Indonesian governments agreed to bring Veloso back to Manila after 10 years of diplomacy and consultation regarding her case.

“We managed to delay her execution long enough to reach an agreement to finally bring her back to the Philippines,” said Marcos.

Clemency, however, would not look good according to Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, as the Philippines cannot just disregard the judgment of the Indonesian court.

READ: Mary Jane Veloso is coming home to the Philippines – Marcos 

According to Brosas, Veloso’s case signifies that the current administration must abandon its labor-export policy.

“The Marcos Jr. administration must abandon this bankrupt labor export program.  We need to end the system that considers our workers as cheap labor for other countries.,” she said.

“Mary Jane deserves justice, and all Filipino women deserve the right to decent work in their own country. The labor export policy must end and be replaced with genuine industrialization,” she added.