Gabriela Women’s Partylist filed a resolution at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 11, urging the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government to grant clemency to Mary Jane Veloso.
Accompanied by the family of the human trafficking victim, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas called on Marcos Jr. to grant the petition once Veloso’s transfer from Indonesia to the Philippines happens.
“Mary Jane Veloso’s case starkly illustrates how the government’s labor export policy continues to endanger Filipino women,” Brosas said.
The Indonesian and Philippine governments recently signed an agreement for Veloso’s transfer to the Philippines.
READ: Mary Jane Veloso is coming home
The women’s party representative said overseas Filipino workers desperately seek work abroad due to the lack of decent jobs in the country.
“Our women become vulnerable to trafficking syndicates and exploitation. Hindi dapat ginagawang kalakal ang ating mga kababayan!” Brosas added. (Our compatriots should not be treated as merchandise!)
Gabriela’s resolution called for immediate action on Veloso’s case while condemning government’s continued labor export policy.
The policy victimizes Filipino women more, the Makabayan Coalition senate hopeful said, demanding systemic changes to prevent similar tragedies.
“How long will the government continue sending our people abroad to face risks and dangers? President Marcos Jr. must urgently grant clemency to Mary Jane and prioritize policies that promote genuine national industrialization and agricultural development to create decent jobs in the country,” Brosas emphasized.
The lawmaker pointed out that Veloso’s case represents thousands of Filipino women forced to seek work abroad due to the lack of local employment opportunities.
“The Marcos Jr. administration must abandon this bankrupt labor export program. Kailangan nating wakasan ang sistemang nagtuturing sa ating mga manggagawa bilang cheap labor para sa ibang bansa,” she said. (We should end the system that treats our workers as cheap export labor.)
Gabriela Women’s Party vowed to continue fighting for Veloso’s freedom while pushing for fundamental changes in government economic policies to protect Filipino women workers.
“Mary Jane deserves justice, and all Filipino women deserve the right to decent work in their own country. The labor export policy must end and be replaced with genuine industrialization,” Brosas concluded. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
