A Catholic bishop expressed joy over the return of Mary Jane Veloso, an Indonesia death row convict, to the Philippines.
Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antipolo, vice chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, said Veloso’s homecoming “symbolizes hope and the power of prayer.”
“Her homecoming is a triumph of faith, justice, and our community’s steadfast support,” Santos said.
Veloso, sentenced to death for drug trafficking in 2010, arrived in the Philippines on Dec. 18 after more than a decade of incarceration in Indonesia.
The return of the 39-year-old mother who has two children, the bishop said, is particularly meaningful as it coincided with International Migrants Day.
Veloso, a former domestic helper, has maintained her innocence throughout her 14 years in prison, claiming she was a victim of human trafficking and tricked into smuggling drugs to Indonesia.
She will remain in prison as a sentenced convict until the two nations reach a mutual agreement for clemency.
Caritas Philippines has earlier joined calls for Veloso’s freedom.
“Solidarity is rising once more to pray that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr grants clemency for Mary Jane upon her arrival,” the national Caritas said.
“We cannot help but walk with her in solidarity, joining the prayers for her immediate and full clemency on humanitarian grounds as a victim of human trafficking,” it added.
