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Throughout Saturday, September 26, Mary Jane Veloso rubbed liniment oil on the temples of her head. It temporarily soothed the headache she had been feeling since Friday, September 25.
It seemed her weakened body held her back from moving freely all day. But her will was stronger. Maybe because she already endured 16 long years of imprisonment that being sick for another day could not stop her from doing engagements and traveling for hours.
After all, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already granted the 41-year-old former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) an absolute pardon from her drug trafficking conviction handed down by an Indonesian court in 2010.
All Mary Jane needed to do was to reach her doorstep in Nueva Ecija, so she could announce to the world that she was home at last.
NEW MORNING. Cesar and Celia Veloso hold onto their daughter Mary Jane as they leave a hotel in Manila on September 26, 2026, after spending the night following the former overseas Filipino worker’s release from the Correctional Institution for Women. Photo by RapplerFaith and courage
Mary Jane did not go home immediately after leaving the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City early Saturday.
She and her family spent the night in Manila, as she wanted to attend Mass first and hold a press conference before going back to her home province. It was her way of giving back to supporters and all other Filipinos who followed her case.
Overwhelmed by her reunion with her family, Mary Jane could not sleep.
During the ride to Siena College Chapel in Quezon City, sleepless Mary Jane took time to appreciate the world outside of prison in broad daylight, specifically the roads, as well as the trees and plants, her 46-year-old sister Maritess Laurente told Rappler.
The medicine they gave to Mary Jane did little to ease her motion sickness. Nuns gave her warm water and crackers. Afterwards, she wore her rosary then rested her head on the shoulders of her father, 70-year-old Cesar, as they waited for the Mass to start.
The former OFW was fueled by her faith. Recalling the moments before her scheduled execution in Indonesia in April 2015, she told journalists: “Sabi ko kay God, ‘Patunayan mo sa buong mundo na wala akong kasalanan. Iligtas mo po ako.’” (I asked God, “Prove to the world that I’m innocent. Please save me.”)
She was granted a last-minute reprieve in Indonesia. Over a decade later, she was pardoned in the Philippines.
“Natutunan ko po talaga sa laban ko na ‘to na huwag tayong bibitaw. Huwag tayong mawalan ng pag-asa kasi ibibigay ni God ‘yan sa tamang panahon. At ito po ‘yong panahon na iniintay ko, dumating na po: Kasama ko ang aking pamilya.”
(What I learned from my fight for freedom is we should not let go. We should not lose hope because God will grant our desires at the right time. And the moment that I’ve been waiting for has arrived: I’m with my family.)
THANKSGIVING MASS. Mary Jane Veloso, accompanied by her family and support groups, attends a thanksgiving Mass at Siena College Chapel in Quezon City on September 26, 2026. Photo by Jire Carreon/RapplerClinging to family
The Veloso family also could not sleep after the release of Mary Jane, the youngest of five children of Cesar and Celia. Her siblings thought what was happening was a dream.
Christopher Veloso, 48, was working on their farm when he heard that his sister had been pardoned. With their eagerness to be reunited with her, they forgot to bring clothes for Mary Jane. It was supporters from rights group Migrante International who lent Mary Jane a pink top, which she wore during Saturday’s press conference.
When they settled at a hotel in Manila in the early hours of Saturday, they ordered pizza. Even with their separate hotel rooms, 14 members of the Veloso family crowded in one room to share the midnight snack and be with Mary Jane.
They wanted to make up for lost time with Mary Jane, the most affectionate Veloso, after her 16-year ordeal behind bars.
Darling Cando, 44, who was described as the sibling closest to Mary Jane, massaged her sister’s aching head.
Mary Jane clung to her mother when she faced the media after Saturday’s Mass. Celia, 66, would touch and fix her youngest daughter’s hair from time to time.
MOTHER’S LOVE. Mary Jane Veloso and her mother Celia join a press conference at Siena College in Quezon City on September 26, 2026. Photo by Jire Carreon/Rappler“Sa nakita ko sa kapatid ko, kahit gano’n ang nangyari sa kanya, talagang nilakasan niya ang loob niya,” Christopher told Rappler.
“Kung tatanungin ako kung ‘yong ginawa niya, nakulong siya nang matagal, kung kakayanin ko, baka ‘di ko kaya eh. Kaya bilib ako sa kanya. Salamat po at ginabayan siya ng Panginoon.”
(From what I’ve seen from my sister, she really remained strong even if she was imprisoned for a long time. If I were in her shoes, I think I wouldn’t be able to handle that. That’s why I’m proud of her. Thank you, Lord, for guiding her.)
With Mary Jane’s freedom, her siblings said they will strive to keep their promises, such as attending Mass every week and helping her start a business.
And for Mary Jane, she can now fulfill her desire to take care of her aging parents and her own sons, Mark Daniel Candelaria, 23, and Mark Darren Candelaria, 17.
Daniel and Darren were only seven years old and one year old, respectively, when their mother left the Philippines to be a domestic worker in April 2010. She was supposed to take a job in Malaysia, but was asked by her recruiters to go to Indonesia instead with a new suitcase. In Indonesia, airport authorities found heroin hidden inside the lining of Mary Jane’s bag. She was arrested for drug trafficking and later placed on death row.
Maintaining her innocence, Mary Jane would spend the next 16 years fighting for her freedom. Her life was spared in 2015 due to the last-minute reprieve, and in December 2024, she again stepped on home soil as Indonesia agreed to transfer her to Philippine custody.
Now, Mary Jane will finally be with her sons on their birthdays — with Darren turning 18 on October 25 and Daniel turning 24 on November 28. Her sons, now young men, cried during Saturday’s press conference when their mother spoke, when she recited poetry, and when she sang “Maghintay Ka Lamang.”
Daniel and Darren also delivered heartfelt messages to the mother they grew up without, yet love so dearly. “Tandaan ‘nyo po palagi na proud na proud po ako na kayo po ‘yung naging nanay ko,” Daniel said. (Always remember that I’m so proud you’re my mother.)
Nothing like home
After more than two hours of travel, Mary Jane arrived in General Mamerto Natividad, Nueva Ecija, at 5:43 pm on Saturday. Relatives and some neighbors greeted Mary Jane, who was still carsick but clearly thrilled to be home.
HOMECOMING. Mary Jane Veloso waves to supporters upon her arrival in General Mamerto Natividad, Nueva Ecija, on September 26, 2026. Photo by Angie de Silva/RapplerCarefully, she walked towards their house, where banners and balloons were put up to mark her homecoming. This was her first time to see their house in General Mamerto Natividad, as their family is originally from Talavera, another town in Nueva Ecija.
She was given warm water to drink before she changed into a more comfortable black shirt.
For her first meal back home, Mary Jane requested pinakbet — a Filipino vegetable dish — and grilled fish. The General Mamerto Natividad government also gave a chocolate cake.
“Puro repolyo naman. Mahal po kasi ang gulay, pasensiya na (It’s full of cabbage. Vegetables now are expensive, please bear with us),” Christopher said of the pinakbet, which was prepared by his wife, Nerisa. Chuckles were heard around the table as the Veloso family gathered to eat.
As the night wore on, neighbors started a karaoke fest. Mary Jane inched closer to her relatives and friends, chatting about her imprisonment.
‘KUMUSTAHAN.’ Mary Jane Veloso spends the night chatting with family and friends back home in Nueva Ecija on September 26, 2026. Photo by Angie de Silva/RapplerColor returned to Mary Jane’s face. “Nakakain na eh (I’ve already eaten, that’s why),” she told Rappler.
But perhaps it was because she was home at last. – Rappler.com
