The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, July 29, said that 68 Filipino detainees have been pardoned by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government.
(DFA Photo)
The DFA expressed its gratitude to the UAE government for granting “humanitarian” pardon to 68 Filipino detainees on the occasion of the celebration of Eid al-Adha last month.
Eid al-adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is one of the two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year. Most Muslims attend the special prayers held at major mosques and Islamic centers throughout the world.
“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, as of posting, 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.