Strong UAE ties led to pardon of 143 Filipinos, House leaders say

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 — Strong ties cultivated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have led to the pardon of Filipinos facing minor offenses, leaders of the House of Representatives said on Wednesday.

In a statement, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that it was the strong relations between the two nations that led UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to pardon 143 Filipinos.

“The President’s cultivation of our strong ties with the UAE is what prompted UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to recently grant pardon to 143 Filipinos,” Romualdez said.

READ: Marcos says 143 Filipinos pardoned by UAE 

“We support the foreign policy thrust of our President in fostering friendly interaction and cooperation with other countries and in making the Philippines, to use his words, ‘a friend to all, an enemy to none’,” he added.

Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre also thanked Marcos, saying that this”reflects our government’s strong commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of Filipinos abroad.”

“With over 600,000 Filipino migrant workers currently residing in the UAE, contributing to key sectors like healthcare, construction, and hospitality, it is vital that we continue to support and safeguard their welfare. The UAE is home to one of the largest Filipino expatriate communities in the Middle East, making the partnership between our nations even more significant,” Acidre, who is also chairperson of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, said.

READ: 45 more Filipinos repatriated from UAE

“I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to the UAE government for their generosity toward the Filipino community and for upholding the values of mercy and humanity. Their kindness not only brings relief and hope to our kababayans, but also strengthens the bond between our two nations,” he added.

Marcos announced on Tuesday that 143 Filipinos had been pardoned by the UAE, following a phone conversation with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. According to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega, the pardons were granted in June during the celebration of Eid’l Adha.

The pardoned Filipinos had committed minor offenses, not major offenses that are punishable by death penalty.

Romualdez also expressed gratitude to the UAE President for this gesture.

“In behalf of our pardoned kababayan and their families, we would like to express our deep gratitude to President Mohamed bin Zayed. We also would like to thank him for hosting thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and for treating them well,” he said.

“We hope we could reciprocate their kindness in the future, even in terms of our country providing them with their labor requirements and our OFWs rendering efficient and excellent service,” he added.