UAE pardons 143 OFWs jailed for minor offenses

COURTESY CALL In this June 4 photo, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), meets with President Marcos at Malacañang to discuss issues concerning the Philippines and UAE and talk about areas of cooperation. —Marianne Bermudez

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday confirmed that the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had pardoned 143 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were jailed in the Middle Eastern nation.

In a statement, Marcos said he expressed the Philippines’ “heartfelt thanks” to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in a phone call on Monday.

“I had the privilege of speaking with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. I extended to him my heartfelt thanks for this humanitarian aid in the wake of the recent typhoons and floods that struck the (country),” the President said.

“I expressed my gratitude for the kindness extended to them, particularly the generous pardon of 143 Filipinos, which has brought relief to many families,” the President added.

The President was the first to break the news on the pardon of the OFWs in UAE, though no details were provided on what cases these Filipinos faced.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the latest batch of pardoned individuals had committed minor offenses, including drug abuse, theft, and immigration-related violations such as absconding and overstaying, he added, noting that there were no death penalty cases.

Stronger ties

The President said he looked forward to strengthening the bond and partnership between the Philippines and UAE, which, he pointed out, was “rooted in the values and aspirations of our peoples.”

“It is always inspiring to hear how our Filipino workers continue to excel and make a positive contribution in the [countries they work in],” he noted.

In an interview, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega said the DFA was formally notified by the UAE government of the OFWs’ pardon in August.

“On the occasion of this year’s Eid’l Adha (Muslim holiday called Feast of Sacrifice), which was celebrated last June, the UAE government pardoned 143 Filipinos serving time in the UAE,” he said.

“The Philippines appreciates this kind gesture of our friends from the United Arab Emirates,” De Vega added.

‘Joyous occasions’

According to De Vega, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi regularly appeals for humanitarian pardons for Filipinos imprisoned in the UAE, usually during “joyous occasions” such as Eid’l Fitr (holiday to commemorate the end of the holy month of Ramadan) and Eid’l Adha, De Vega told the Inquirer, citing information from the embassy.

“As a general rule, some pardoned individuals are allowed to go home on their own if they have valid passports. If they do not have valid passports, the embassy issues travel documents,” the DFA official said.

According to De Vega, the embassy received only a list of names written in Arabic from UAE authorities, which limited their access to detailed information about each case.

While the embassy has translated the names to assist in contacting the pardoned individuals, their identities were not publicized out of respect for privacy laws and the wishes of those involved, De Vega said.

Government help

Lawmakers have urged the government to provide livelihood opportunities to the 143 pardoned OFWs.

“Upon their return to the country, I hope that they get to benefit from the programs of our government so they can recover and continue their fight against life’s challenges together with their families, without having to leave and work overseas again,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada.

“This is an early Christmas gift to them,” he added.

Estrada also joined President Marcos in expressing gratitude to the UAE government for its “benevolent decision” and “act of compassion and understanding.”

“[This] brings immense relief to the families of those pardoned and strengthens the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two nations,” he said.

“We are deeply grateful to the UAE government for their kindness to the Filipino community and for upholding mercy and humanity. May this goodwill inspire further collaboration and mutual respect between our countries,” he added.

Legal assistance

In a separate statement, Sen. Joel Villanueva also extended gratitude to the kind gesture of the UAE government for pardoning the Filipinos and thanked President Marcos “for prioritizing the welfare of our kababayans.”

Villanueva noted that in addition to the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) AKSYON Fund, which is intended to assist all OFWs, there is a need to establish a more expansive system for the use of the Legal Assistance Fund (LAF).

The LAF assists OFWs in getting legal services in the countries they are working in.

Villanueva is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1448, which aims to broaden the coverage of the LAF at all stages of the legal proceeding, including appeals, and ensure its immediate availability for all distressed Filipinos abroad. —with a report from Tina G. Santos