H.E. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
President of the Republic of the Philippines

Dear President Marcos Jr:

We, the undersigned, join the family of Mary Jane Veloso in welcoming the good news of Mary Jane’s upcoming return to the Philippines after 14 years of detention in Indonesia. Mary Jane and the Veloso family have articulated through these years that Mary Jane was a victim of her traffickers. Together, we have joined in solidarity to save the life of Mary Jane, to secure her freedom, and to achieve justice for her in the Philippines. We appeal to your administration to ensure the safe return of Mary Jane Veloso back home to the Philippines and to demonstrate compassion by granting her immediate clemency, based on the humanitarian grounds that Mary Jane is a victim of human trafficking. 

In the past nine years, we have never forgotten Mary Jane. Since 2015, the grassroots campaign calling on the Indonesian Government to save Mary Jane Veloso’s life brought together thousands of people from the Philippines, Indonesia and across many countries in the world. Migrants, women and human rights groups and advocates, faith and religious organizations, legal advocates and communities organized prayer vigils and solidarity actions, sent letters of appeal and lobbied Indonesian Government leaders to grant Mary Jane clemency. We have also appealed to the Philippine Government to ensure that Mary Jane’s testimony would be taken as part of holding her traffickers in the Philippines accountable for their crimes.

Mary Jane is among many women migrant workers, from impoverished backgrounds, who have been preyed upon by illegal recruiters and human traffickers. The pending return of Mary Jane Veloso to her homeland will shine as 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.

Human trafficking victims like Mary Jane should be protected while the real perpetrators of human trafficking–those who deceive and prey on the innocent, vulnerable and desperate–should be prosecuted and convicted.

Our resounding call is to bring Mary Jane Veloso safely home to her family and grant her full clemency forthwith.

Sign the petition here.