Mary Jane Veloso appeals anew for freedom

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May 9, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Detained former overseas Filipino worker Mary Jane Veloso once again appealed to the Supreme Court for her freedom, saying her continued imprisonment lacked legal basis as she claimed that the Philippine and Indonesian governments had agreed to allow her to continue serving her sentence at home.

In a motion filed yesterday by her parents, Celia and Cesar, the Veloso family asked the high court to act on their motion to resolve the petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which they filed in November 2025.

“I do not wish to repeat the arguments of my lawyers, but I believe my continued detention has no legal basis,” Mary Jane said in Filipino in her handwritten letter to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

Mary Jane, who is detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong, said the upcoming Mother’s Day is the 17th year that she would fail to celebrate the occasion with her two sons.

In a statement, the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) said Veloso’s continued detention violates her fundamental rights.

“The writ of habeas corpus exists precisely to allow the courts to examine whether a person’s detention continues to have sufficient legal basis. We respectfully urge the Supreme Court to resolve the petition at the soonest possible time,” said lawyer Katherine Panguban, head of the NUPL’s woman and children committee.

Earlier, the NUPL said Veloso “is set to testify” against her recruiters Ma. Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao.