News in pictures: Kin, supporters urge Marcos Jr. to grant habeas corpus petition

MANILA — Family and supporters of human trafficking victim Mary Jane Veloso held a protest in front of the Department of Justice on Monday, February 16, 2026 to urge the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant her habeas corpus petition, questioning the legality of her continuous detention.

The petition was filed on November 14, 2025, maintaining that Veloso is a victim of human trafficking and not a criminal. It also argues that under the principle of territoriality, the Philippines has no jurisdiction to enforce a foreign court’s sentence, especially in the absence of a treaty or enabling law.

“Marcos has all the power to free Mary Jane. He is heartless for not using it. Marcos is so cruel for him to make her write to her directly, even though he has already received thousands of clemency pleas from the Veloso family and her supporters since 2024,” said Joanna Concepcion, chairperson of Migrante International. “It is he who should have the compassion to meet her in prison. We challenge Marcos to visit Mary Jane and hear her story.”

In solidarity with Veloso, supporters also brought a large heart-shaped open letter to boost her morale while they campaign for her freedom.

Veloso wrote an open letter appealing for her freedom. Presidential Communications Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said that the letter should have been “addressed personally” to the president. But Migrante International rebuked this saying that Veloso and her family reached out multiple times and all that came back to her were vague claims that the president was looking into the issue.

Read: Detained Mary Jane Veloso hopes to reunite with aging parents

Text by Dominic Gutoman
Photos by Migrante International