Walden Bello: Veloso release a triumph of transnational civil society

October 4, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

Former Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello described the release of Mary Jane Veloso as a “triumph of transnational civil society efforts to obtain justice,”saying her freedom should have come much earlier.

In a statement, Bello said Veloso’s release was made possible by pressure from individuals and organizations in the Philippines and abroad on both the Indonesian and Philippine governments.

“The release of Mary Jane Veloso came about as a result of domestic and international, individual and organizational pressure on the Indonesian and Philippine governments,” Bello said.

He described Veloso’s return to freedom as the result of sustained efforts by civil society groups across national borders.

“A triumph of transnational civil society efforts to obtain justice, her regaining freedom should have come much, much earlier,” Bello said.

Veloso was arrested in Indonesia in 2010 after authorities found 2.5 kilograms of heroin in her luggage.

She was later convicted and sentenced to death.

She narrowly escaped execution in 2015 after Indonesian authorities granted a last-minute reprieve following developments in the Philippines involving the prosecution of her alleged recruiters.

After spending more than a decade in an Indonesian prison, Veloso was transferred to the Philippines in December 2024 following years of diplomatic negotiations between Manila and Jakarta.

Bello said the developments surrounding Veloso’s case showed the role of both domestic and international pressure in pushing for justice and her eventual freedom.#