Sixty-eight Filipino detainees have been granted a humanitarian pardon by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday, July 29.
The DFA conveyed its gratitude to the UAE government for extending clemency during last month’s Eid al-Adha celebration.
“This generous and benevolent gesture is a testament to the robust bilateral relations between the Philippines and the UAE, and a lasting gift to the families of the pardoned Filipinos,” DFA said.
The DFA has yet to state what crimes the Filipino convicts committed.
This was not the first time that UAE has pardoned Filipino convicts this year. In March, it pardoned 115 Filipinos ahead of Eid al-Adha.
Last year, 143 Filipinos were also given the same reprieve in the UAE in time for Eid Al-Adha, while 220 others were pardoned to mark the Middle Eastern country’s national day.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority said that of the 2.16 million registered overseas Filipino workers in 2023, 13.6 percent are based in the UAE. (Raymund Antonio)
