A total of 220 Filipinos detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were pardoned on the occasion of the 53rd UAE National Day, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported, quoted by BTA.
The UAE leadership annually grants amnesty to prisoners around its national holiday on December 2, and the pardon of the Filipinos, announced on December 26, is an expression of the good relations between the two countries.
"This is a direct result of the meeting last November between Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan," the Philippine Foreign Ministry said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi are working on the processing of documents and administrative procedures for the immediate return of the pardoned Filipinos citizens.
The pardoned Filipinos were detained in the UAE for various crimes. In June last year, 143 Filipinos detained in the UAE were also pardoned on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.