'Di kami hinaharap': Parents of Mary Jane Veloso plead with Marcos for clemency as testimony begins

In a recent ANC 24/7 report, Gabriela Party-list Representative Sarah Elago joined the family and supporters of Mary Jane Veloso outside the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City on Friday, as the 40-year-old former overseas Filipino worker prepared to testify against her recruiter in a human trafficking case that has drawn national attention for nearly two decades.

'Di kami hinaharap': Parents of Mary Jane Veloso plead with Marcos for clemency as testimony begins

Manila, Philippines — June 19, 2026 — Celia and Cesar Veloso, the aging parents of Mary Jane Veloso, led an emotional protest outside the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City on Friday, appealing directly to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant executive clemency to their daughter who has spent 17 years behind bars for a crime she says she did not commit. The demonstration coincided with a crucial court proceeding allowing Veloso to finally testify against her human trafficker — a step advocates described as long overdue.

Family and Supporters Stage Protest at Mandaluyong Prison

Celia and Cesar Veloso led the demonstration on Friday outside the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, joined by Representative Sarah Elago and other supporters calling for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant executive clemency. The parents displayed placards and repeated the phrase "Di kami hinaharap" to highlight their unanswered appeals to Malacañang after sending thousands of letters seeking their daughter's release.

Cesar Veloso stated that Mary Jane has already served 17 years for a crime she did not commit, while the family grows older and faces health challenges that make time with their daughter urgent. "Nagkakasakit na po kami," Celia Veloso said, describing their declining health and the fear that they may not have much time left to spend with their daughter.

The protest directly connects to the daily struggles of thousands of Filipino families with overseas workers, as Mary Jane's case underscores risks faced by women from rural communities who seek employment abroad through informal channels.

Veloso Testifies Against Recruiter in Trafficking Case

A court ruling permitted Mary Jane Veloso to give testimony on June 19 inside the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong against her recruiter in the human trafficking case. Representative Sarah Elago described the testimony as "long overdue," noting that Philippine courts have already convicted the recruiters of human trafficking and thereby confirmed Veloso's account of being used as a drug mule.

Lawyer Edwin Dela Cruz argued that no pending case exists against Veloso in the Philippines and called on Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida to justify her continued detention after the transfer from Indonesia. Dela Cruz maintained that his client is a victim of human trafficking and should not be held further, stressing that her case in Indonesia ended with her transfer and that Philippine authorities have no independent grounds to keep her detained.

Parents Plead for Executive Clemency After 17 Years

Celia and Cesar Veloso emphasized that Mary Jane has now spent nearly two years back in the Philippines following her December 2024 transfer from Indonesia, yet Malacañang has only stated that the Office of the Executive Secretary continues to study the clemency request. The couple explained that they want to spend remaining years with their daughter rather than continue waiting for a response that has not arrived despite repeated submissions to Malacañang.

"Nakikiusap po ako, mahal na Pangulo. Buong pamilya Veloso po nakikiusap, nagmamakaawa na ibigay mo na po ang kalayaan ni Mary Jane," Celia Veloso said in her public appeal. The mother also expressed her wish for Mary Jane to care for her own children. "Bigyan niyo na po ng kalayaan si Mary Jane para maasikaso na niya ang kanyang mga anak."

Their appeal highlights the human cost for families in agricultural regions who lose able-bodied members to prolonged detention, forcing older parents to manage households without support from children who once contributed remittances as OFWs.

Church Groups Rally Behind Veloso Ahead of Testimony

On June 18, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Council of Bishops and United Methodist Church leaders released statements backing Mary Jane Veloso's right to safety and fair treatment during her testimony. The UCCP bishops noted that Veloso's experience reflects the wider pattern of migrant workers and trafficking victims who leave the Philippines seeking better opportunities but encounter exploitation at recruitment stages.

"For many years, Mary Jane's story has embodied the struggles of migrant workers, victims of human trafficking, and those who have endured injustice and exploitation," the bishops said in their statement. They described her testimony as "an important step in the pursuit of truth and accountability" and affirmed "her courage and her dignity as a beloved child of God."

Church leaders urged authorities to guarantee that Veloso can testify without interference and called for compassion in line with Philippine values of bayanihan toward those who have suffered injustice.

Case Background: From Death Row in Indonesia to Mandaluyong

Mary Jane Veloso was arrested in 2010 at Yogyakarta airport in Indonesia carrying 2.6 kilos of heroin and spent nearly 15 years on death row before Indonesian authorities agreed to transfer her to the Philippines in December 2024. She was spared execution in 2015 specifically so she could testify against her recruiters — a step that Philippine courts later used to secure convictions against those individuals for human trafficking.

The transfer placed Veloso at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, where she remains while her family continues appeals for release through executive clemency rather than through any active domestic criminal case. Her lawyer has repeatedly pointed out that since her recruiters have been convicted, there is no legal basis to continue holding her.

What to Watch For

President Marcos Jr. holds the sole authority to grant executive clemency, and advocates are watching closely for any signal from Malacañang. The Office of the Executive Secretary has been studying the clemency appeal for months, but the Veloso family says they have received no response despite thousands of letters sent to the Palace.

For OFW families across Cebu, Davao, and Baguio, the case serves as a concrete reminder that recruitment scams can lead to decades of separation unless executive clemency is applied promptly when courts have already validated the victim's account. The resolution of Veloso's case could set a precedent for how the Marcos administration handles trafficking victims who return to the Philippines under government custody after serving time abroad.

The continued detention of Mary Jane Veloso after her recruiters' convictions raises questions for the Department of Justice about how quickly victims can return to their barangays once foreign sentences end. Advocates argue that resolving Veloso's status would demonstrate whether the current administration intends to use clemency powers to address trafficking cases that have already been proven in court, rather than leaving families to wait indefinitely outside facilities in Mandaluyong City.

By Bella Reyes, Staff Writer