Migrante International joins the family of Mary Jane Veloso in welcoming the good news that she will finally return home after 14 long years. We are elated that Mary Jane will be one step closer in her long, arduous journey to freedom.
We would like to extend our deep gratitude to all of Mary Jane’s supporters who came from all over the world, who believed Mary Jane’s story as a victim of human trafficking and stood alongside her family in their pursuit of justice throughout all these years. Since 2015, migrant and human rights advocates and organizations successfully campaigned to save her life from execution and have relentlessly pushed for clemency for Mary Jane as a victim of human trafficking. We were all part of this long journey and contributed greatly to this victory.
We recognize the initiative of both the Philippine and Indonesian Governments in their efforts to pursue political and diplomatic solutions to address the plight of Mary Jane. We also acknowledge the initiatives of the Philippine Government for working towards this agreement of ‘transfer of custody’ and in appealing for clemency for Mary Jane.
It is our hope that Mary Jane will soon safely reunite with her entire family. We call on the Marcos Jr. Administration to grant Mary Jane immediate clemency upon her return home to the Philippines under humanitarian grounds and as a victim of human trafficking.