Anti-poverty commission pushes for Veloso’s clemency

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor, Philippine News Agency

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 on charges of drug trafficking and was sentenced to death. (Sreengrab file photo from PTV via PNA)

MANILA – The National Anti-Poverty Commission has expressed gratitude to the Indonesian government for the transfer of convicted overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso to the Philippines after more than a decade of diplomatic efforts.

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 on charges of drug trafficking and was sentenced to death.

The latest development in her case is a huge relief to Veloso’s family and supporters who have long advocated for her release, NAPC’s Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sectoral Council (FLMWSC ) said in a news release on Thursday.

“We express our profound gratitude to the Indonesian government for their goodwill in facilitating Veloso’s release,” it said.

“Her case has been highly publicized and emotionally charged, with many questioning her guilt and calling for clemency,” it added.

The FLMWSC, together with various civil society groups and people’s organizations, has advocated for a reduction in Veloso’s sentence, saying that she is a victim of human trafficking.

It also acknowledged the efforts of the late former president Benigno Aquino III, who halted Veloso’s execution through dialogues with President Joko Widodo.

“Granting presidential clemency, particularly during the Christmas season, would be a compassionate and timely gesture, embodying the spirit of mercy and forgiveness,” it said.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has agreed to the transfer of Veloso to the country where she will serve the remainder of her sentence.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier expressed his gratitude to his counterpart and the rest of the Indonesian government for their “goodwill.”