220 pardoned Filipinos to be repatriated individually

Two hundred and 20 Filipinos serving jail terms across the seven emirates for criminal and/or civil cases; but granted full pardon by the UAE Government, on the occasion of the December 2. 2024 53rd founding anniversary of the nation, shall be repatriated individually.

“We will process their travel documents accordingly. Each one is escorted by the Criminal Investigation Department officer to either the Philippine Embassy here in Abu Dhabi or the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai for subsequent departure,” Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand Ver told Gulf Today on Wednesday.

“No one will be jailed in the Philippines. They are already pardoned,” replied Ver, asked on whether the pardonees would continue their prison sentences back home.

Ver was interviewed after Gulf Today came across “The Joint Statement on the Pardon by the UAE Government of 220 Filipinos Convicted of Various Crimes” over the Facebook Page of the Philippine Consulate General-Dubai on Tuesday evening.

“The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai, with the Filipino Community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), extend its sincerest gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and to the Government of the UAE for their generous decision to grant royal clemency to 220 Filipino nationals previously convicted of various offences. This act of clemency on the occasion of the 53rd Eid Al Etihad reflects the values of compassion, justice and mercy that guide the leadership of the UAE.

“We are deeply appreciative of the continued generosity and understanding shown by the government and people of the UAE towards Filipinos. The pardon granted reaffirms the strong and growing relationship between our two nations, built on mutual respect, cooperation, and shared values. It is a testament to the commitment to foster peace, reconciliation and human dignity.”

Ver referred to the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) which operates in the UAE by way of the Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, when asked about the provision of reintegration and re-mainstreaming assistance to the 220.

The DMW in Metro Manila issued a statement on Wednesday, arising too, from the cascade of media enquiries.

Early on and as reported by the Metro Manila-headquartered The Manila Times, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the UAE for a one-day working visit in November 2024 expressed his “heartfelt gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whom I also had the honour to meet, for this compassionate gesture.”

The DMW statement: “We are committed to providing comprehensive support to ensure their smooth and successful reintegration into the Philippine society through a whole-of-government collaboration with other government agencies. We look forward to welcoming our pardoned overseas Filipino workers back home and supporting them in their paths toward full reintegration.”

From the DMW moreover: “This very welcome gesture highlights the strong and enduring relationship between the Philippines and the UAE, a bond that was further reinforced in the recent meeting between His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in November 2024.”

The pardon of the 220 Filipinos by the UAE Government is the second in 2024; for, in celebration of the EId Al Adha in June 2024, the UAE leadership granted forgiveness to 143 others.

Meanwhile, on the September to December 2024 Amnesty Programme of the UAE, 1,159 Filipinos have decided to return to their home country, according to a Facebook Reel of the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai on Tuesday.

Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates Marford Angeles and Labour Attache in Dubai and the Northern Emirates John Rio Bautista oversaw the exit of 12, including children – going home for the first time – through the Dubai International Airport on Monday evening.