3 pardoned Filipino prisoners in UAE to return home

MANILA – Three Filipinos convicted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will return to the Philippines after being pardoned by the UAE government, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

The Presidential Communications Office announced earlier that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan decided to pardon three Filipino prisoners, two of whom were on death row for drug trafficking.

“We’re going to revise their files and cases a little bit so that they can Go home and reunite with your family in the Philippines.”

“We don’t have a firm timetable, but we hope within the next month or so their papers will be sorted out when they go home, or even sooner than that. Likewise, many of our compatriots have been pardoned in the UAE in the past, It usually takes about a month or less to actually return to the Philippines.”

Foreign Ministry officials assured that the pardoned Filipinos will receive government assistance to help them start over after returning to the Philippines.

“OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) was there just in case he was an OWWA member. DMW (Migrant Workers Department) was also there to help them reintegrate into our society. They came here again after being out of the country for so long , this time hopefully they will be able to make a positive contribution through our government department’s reintegration efforts.”

Many Filipinos are still being held in UAE prisons for a range of criminal cases, including drug trafficking, prostitution, theft and even murder, Cortez said.

“We’re providing everyone with legal assistance to make sure their due process rights are being considered,” Cortez said.

“They are different from our compatriots in that their sentences are final and enforceable, so the only thing we can hope for from the UAE side is if they get the pardon that the UAE usually grants during Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Adha.” Or after Ramadan . “