Mission Yearbook: Human trafficking victim Mary Jane Veloso returns to the Philippines

Supporters of domestic worker Mary Jane Veloso, imprisoned unjustly in
Indonesia for 14 years, await her arrival at the Manila airport.

Mary Jane Veloso, a human trafficking victim who was imprisoned unjustly for 14 years in Indonesia for unwittingly carrying 2.6 kilos of heroin into that country in luggage provided to her by individuals who had recruited her to work in Malaysia, has been freed from Indonesian custody and has returned home to the Philippines.

PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker the Rev. Cathy Chang was at the Manila airport to help welcome Veloso home in a terminal crowded with reporters and well-wishers.

Now 39, Veloso, a domestic worker, was arrested in 2010 in Indonesia. She denied knowing about the drugs in the luggage she’d been given by those who’d recruited her to work in Malaysia — two Filipinos who were convicted in 2020 of large-scale illegal recruitment. In 2015, she’d been sentenced to be executed in Indonesia, but at the 11th hour was granted a stay thanks in part to pleas from then-Philippine President Benigno Aquino because of the recent arrest of one of her recruiters.

Chang said Veloso’s release was the result of a high-level diplomatic agreement between the Ministry of Justice in Indonesia and counterparts in the Philippines. Under diplomatic agreements signed by members of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the custody of a prisoner can be transferred. Chang credited both Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the new Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto.

Supporters gathered outside the Correctional Institute for Women to show
their unwavering support for Mary Jane Veloso. (Contributed photo)

“From what I could see during the live feed [of Veloso’s arrival in Manila], she obviously has aged. But the joy showed in her eyes,” Chang said. “Even at the press conference, I could see how she radiated joy, relief and gratitude.”

The question on the minds of Veloso’s many supporters is whether Marcos will grant her clemency. They’re circulating this petition, which states, “Mary Jane is among many women migrant workers, from impoverished backgrounds, who have been preyed upon by illegal recruiters and human traffickers.” Her safe return “will shine as a beacon of hope for migrant workers around the world, especially for those who feel abandoned and neglected and who face unjust detention, the harsh realities of exploitation and injustice.” Everyone is invited to join international supporters through this online signature campaign.

Clemency for Veloso “is long overdue,” Chang said. “I think she has already suffered so much.” Chang credited Migrante International and the Church Task Force to Save Mary Jane, in addition to Veloso’s lawyers and Indonesian migrant advocates, for their tireless advocacy.

Several hours before leaving for the Manila airport, Chang stopped by a neighborhood florist to purchase some flowers for Veloso’s family to give to her. “Not knowing which colors to choose, I chose pink because that seemed the best choice,” Chang said. “I told the florist that they would be preparing ‘history-making flowers’ because they would later be given to Mary Jane Veloso.”

“Later, while waiting at the airport,” Chang said, “I learned that pink is Mary Jane’s favorite color.”

Read additional Presbyterian News Service reporting about Veloso’s ordeal and how Presbyterians have supported her over the years here, here, here and here.

Since 2015, the Rev. Cathy Chang has served as a mission co-worker in the Philippines.

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS story)

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Let us pray:

Lord, you have put us into ministry with each other and connected us through our faith. Open our eyes to the potential of our relationships and lead us in new directions. Amen.