The family and supporters of Mary Jane Veloso, a former overseas Filipino worker who narrowly escaped execution in Indonesia, is pressing the Supreme Court to accelerate legal proceedings against her alleged recruiters, seeking justice more than a decade after her initial arrest.
Cesar and Celia Veloso, the detained woman’s parents, submitted a formal letter Thursday requesting the court to address pending matters that have delayed their daughter’s ability to testify against her recruiters, Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao.
Sergio and Lacanilao face charges of estafa and qualified trafficking in the Regional Trial Court of Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija. The pair were previously sentenced to life in prison in 2020 for illegal recruitment of other individuals.
The case took a significant turn in November 2024 when Veloso was repatriated from Indonesia after spending years on death row. She was arrested in 2010 after 2.6 kilograms of heroin were discovered in her luggage.
Private prosecutor Julian Oliva emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the case, stating in a separate letter that prompt action would “substantially advance the interest of justice.”
The Veloso family has also appealed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for clemency, following his involvement in negotiations with Indonesia that led to her return to the Philippines.
Currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong, Veloso continues to seek legal resolution and accountability for her initial trafficking.
The Supreme Court has not yet commented on the family’s request.
