Marcos thanks UAE for pardoning 143 Filipinos

Bongbong Marcos Facebook page

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday thanked United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for pardoning 143 Filipinos, saying that the “generous” act brought “relief to many families.”

Marcos Jr. did not say which crimes the 143 Filipinos were convicted of and what sentences they were facing in the UAE, but noted that he conveyed the message through a phone call in Malacañang.

“I expressed my gratitude for the kindness extended to them, particularly their generous pardon of 143 Filipinos, which has brought relief to many families,” Marcos Jr. said in a social media post.

“Our nations share strong bonds, rooted in the values and aspirations of our peoples, and I look forward to strengthening this partnership in the years ahead,” he said.

Marcos receives UAE Foreign Minister in Malacanang

The Filipino leader also thanked his Emirati counterpart for the aid they sent to typhoon victims in the Philippines.

“I extended to him my heartfelt thanks for the UAE’s humanitarian aid in the wake of the recent typhoons and floods that struck the Philippines,” Marcos said.

Of the 2.16 million overseas Filipino workers listed in 2023, 13.6 percent worked in the UAE, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.

3 Filipinos killed, 2 others injured in UAE floods

From January to July 2024, OFW remittances reached $21.5 billion, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Of this amount, 4.2 percent was from Filipino workers in the UAE, data showed.