To: H.E. President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo

We, migrants and women’s rights groups and advocates from around the world, appeal for clemency and pardon for Mary Jane Veloso, a victim of human trafficking who has remained on death row in Indonesia for more than a decade. Mary Jane was deceived with a false promise of employment as a domestic helper in Malaysia by her recruiter, Ma. Cristina Sergio. Mary Jane paid the recruiter P20,000, a motorcycle and her cell phone to cover the “employment” costs being charged by the recruiter. Her recruiter brought her to Malaysia and was told the job as a domestic helper no longer existed but she would help Mary Jane find a job in Indonesia. 

In 2010, Mary Jane was sentenced to death for drug smuggling due to the discovery of heroin in the lining of the suitcase that she carried to Indonesia. Mary Jane had no knowledge that the suitcase given to her by her recruiter while in Malaysia contained drugs. We believe that Mary Jane, who comes from an impoverished family and province in the Philippines, is among the countless women and girls whose economic and social conditions make them vulnerable to becoming a victims of human trafficking.

A single mother of two young sons and a former migrant domestic helper who only completed one year of high school education, Mary Jane’s only aspiration was to support her family and help provide them with a good future.

Since 2015, when Mary Jane received a temporary stay of execution, significant legal developments have taken place to hold her traffickers accountable. Her recruiter was already sentenced to life imprisonment for committing large-scale illegal recruitment and fraud on January 30, 2020, by the Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court Branch 88 in the Philippines. Mary Jane Veloso’s recruiters face charges of human trafficking and we strongly believe that the guilty conviction for large-scale illegal recruitment is a testament to Mary Jane’s innocence.

A formal appeal for clemency by the Philippine Government, through its Department of Foreign Affairs has been submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia on September 2022. We sincerely hope that this formal appeal will be granted at the soonest time.

Mary Jane’s elderly parents, who have developed ailments and health problems over the years are constantly fearful of not living long enough to see their daughter’s freedom. Mary Jane’s children, who have already grown into teenagers—fine young men who still long for their mother’s love, guidance, and nurturing. 

We stand with Mary Jane in her claim that she is innocent. Once again, we express our resounding request for your mercy to grant clemency and pardon for Mary Jane Veloso, who we believe has long suffered for a crime she did not commit. Human trafficking victims like Mary Jane should be protected while the real perpetrators of serious crimes such as illegal recruitment and human trafficking, those who deceive and prey on the innocent, vulnerable and desperate should be prosecuted and convicted.

About the Petition

The petition was signed by us and organised by the Network for the Protection of Women Migrants’ Rights. The Network for the Protection of Women Migrants’ Rights is a newly established network of advocates and supporters for the protection of the rights of migrant women in Asia Pacific. See more about the case here: https://apwld.org/mary-jane-velosos-letter-to-the-presidents-of-indonesia-and-the-philippines/