I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  (Isaiah 43:19)

In the weeks before the scheduled execution of Mary Jane Veloso in April of 2015, Church people came to understand that a poor Filipina mother of two small boys had been duped into unknowingly carrying a suitcase lined with heroin. As the data unfolded, many were flabbergasted at all of the unfortunate twists, complicated with both major and minor injustices and indifference. Mary Jane Veloso’s experiences reveal that she — like many hopeful migrant workers — was made vulnerable to being trafficked, due to joblessness and inadequate opportunities to provide for her children.

Now our hope and prayer is for the Supreme Court to find or make a way for Mary Jane Veloso to testify in the case against her accused traffickers. Even-handed creation of rules of court or other legal remedies could enable Mary Jane’s testimony to be delivered in the RTC Baloc, Santo Domingo, Nueva Ecija, even under her current confinement in Yogyajarta, Indonesia.

We pray that the Supreme Court will make a way for her and others like her, in the future. Her voice in court matters, especially that the justice system needs victims like Mary Jane to be enabled to present testimony and evidence against their illegal-recruiter traffickers. At the same time, Mary Jane deserves to be heard in court and to testify against her traffickers.

Mary Jane’s testimony in the Philippine courts could facilitate compassionate leniency, clemency and other actions that could remove her from death row.

We stand with Mary Jane! Let Mary Jane testify!

Church Task Force to Save the Life of Mary Jane Veloso

Mary Jane Veloso