How Mary Jane Veloso’s case exposes gaps in Filipino migrant protection

Migrant rights advocates have hailed the release of Filipino trafficking victim Mary Jane Veloso after 16 years in detention as a victorious milestone, but warn that her case exposes the dangers that still confront many vulnerable Philippine workers overseas.

After coming harrowingly close to being executed years ago in Indonesia, Veloso walked free on Friday night from the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, grateful for the absolute pardon granted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.

Marcos’ action removes the remaining criminal liability from Veloso’s drug conviction and restores her civil and political rights, closing a long chapter that began with her 2010 arrest in Yogyakarta after 2.6kg of heroin was found hidden in her luggage – drugs she insisted she did not knowingly carry.

The single mother of two said she was deceived by recruiters who promised her a job abroad as a domestic helper – leading advocates to argue she was a victim of human trafficking.