Mary Jane Veloso’s parents appeal for clemency, seek visit from Marcos Jr.

The parents of Mary Jane Veloso on Monday joined a protest rally outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) to appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant their daughter clemency and personally visit her.

Celia Veloso said her daughter, who was convicted abroad for drug trafficking, has been detained in the Philippines for a year following her return in December 2024.

“Nakikiusap po ako, mahal na Pangulo… Buong pamilya Veloso po nakikiusap, nagmamakaawa na ibigay mo na po ang kalayaan ni Mary Jane,” she said.

(I am pleading with you, dear President. The entire Veloso family is pleading, begging you to grant Mary Jane her freedom.)

She added that she and her husband, Cesar, hope to spend more time with their daughter.

“Bigyan niyo na po ng kalayaan si Mary Jane para maasikaso na niya ang kanyang mga anak. At gusto ko rin pong makapiling ang anak ko… bago pa lang kami mamatay mag-asawa, makapiling namin siya ng mahabang panahon,” she said.

(Please grant Mary Jane her freedom so she can take care of her children. I also want to be with my child… before my spouse and I die, we hope to spend a long time with her.)

“Nagkakasakit na po kami,” she added, saying their health has begun to decline.

Last week, Veloso issued an appeal to authorities to allow her release so she could care for her elderly parents and children after 16 years of separation.

Malacañang earlier said the Office of the Executive Secretary is reviewing the legal provisions surrounding her case, as well as the Philippine government’s engagements with Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Veloso’s lawyer, Edwin Dela Cruz, maintained that his client was illegally detained, stressing that she is a victim of human trafficking.

He also called on Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida to explain her continued detention, claiming she has no pending case in the Philippines.

Veloso had been imprisoned in Indonesia for nearly 15 years on drug trafficking charges before Indonesian authorities agreed to transfer her custody to the Philippines in December 2024, following the signing of practical arrangements between the Indonesian government and the DOJ for her official transfer.—MCG, GMA Integrated News