Migrante International considers Indonesia’s possible transfer of Mary Jane Veloso’s custody to the Philippines as a positive step. This possibility emerged following the Philippine ambassador to Indonesia’s visit to the Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correction of the country on November 11.

“We view this as a positive development and a welcome opportunity to address the situation of Mary Jane who has been in death row prison in Indonesia for the last 14 years,” Migrante International stated. Veloso has been imprisoned in Indonesia since 2010 due to a drug trafficking case. She has long been proven a victim of human and drug trafficking by her recruiter.

In 2015, Veloso’s death sentence was commuted due to Filipino people’s insistence. She remains detained in Jakarta, Indonesia, despite the indictment of her illegal recruiters and long-standing calls for her release.

Migrante International demand the Marcos regime’s lenient treatment of Veloso’s case as she herself is a victim of human trafficking. They argue on the basis of humanitarian grounds and the absence of death penalty in the Philippines.

Indonesian minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said he discussed the proposal for the transfer with the country’s newly elected President Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, and is taking steps to formulate a policy.

With this, Migrante International is pushing to obtain Veloso’s deposition establishing her as a victim of human trafficking. A human trafficking case against Veloso’s arrested recruiters has been filed in a Nueva Ecija court.

“Mary Jane and her family have been fighting to hold her traffickers accountable in court for the last nine years and they deserve full justice,” the group stated.

Migrante International calls on Filipinos and supporters of the Free Mary Jane Campaign to join the protest actions, marches, petitions, letters, and other actions to push the Marcos regime to immediately respond to the demand for justice for Veloso.

“Her plight is emblematic of the exploitation and suffering of countless Filipino migrant workers, who everyday become victims of human trafficking as a result of the labor export program of the Marcos Jr administration,” the group added.

Veloso’s lawyers and the National Union of People’s Lawyers also view this news as the greatest opportunity for her to return to the Philippines and ensure her freedom.