Two Filipino nationals who were sentenced to death after drug conviction and another one serving a 15-year imprisonment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been pardoned by the emir government, Malacañang announced on Friday, June 23.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed his gratitude to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Al Nahyan for granting the humanitarian pardon to the three Filipinos.
This came after UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi conveyed the decision to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos late Tuesday night.
On April 27, Marcos sent two separate letters to Abu Dhabi to request the grant of humanitarian pardon to the three convicted Filipinos—the two of them were initially sentenced to death for drug trafficking, while the other was given 15-year imprisonment for slander.
In January, Gulf News reported that two Filipinos were sentenced by the Criminal Court of Abu Dhabi to death for possession of and dealing narcotics and psychotropic substances. It was not clear if the two recently convicted Filipinos are the ones who have been pardoned.
Meanwhile, Al Nahyan once again invited Marcos to attend the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai in December. He also noted the contribution of around 600,000 Filipinos working in the UAE.