68 Filipino detainees in UAE granted pardon

MANILA, Philippines — The United Arab Emirates has granted a “humanitarian pardon” to 68 Filipino detainees on the occasion of the celebration of Eid’l-adha last month, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

“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,” the DFA said in a statement.

In his State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Marcos expressed gratitude to the UAE and other countries in the Middle East for granting clemency to Filipinos jailed for various offenses.

The President said around 600 Filipinos in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain were granted pardon over the past three years.

“I personally convey the entire nation’s sincerest gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait and to all leaders of various countries who granted clemency and showed kindness to our beloved compatriots,” Marcos said.

Seafarers held captive

Meanwhile, nine Filipino crewmen of the M/V Eternity C, which sank in the Red Sea following missile attacks by Houthi rebels, are being held captive by the group, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed yesterday.

At a hastily called press conference, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said the families of the Filipino crewmen have confirmed their identities in a recent video clip released by the Houthi rebels.

“This announcement from the Houthis basically confirms that which we had surmised, or already knew beforehand, but of course, still subject to confirmation. The photographs and the videos have also been confirmed by the loved ones of the seafarers,” Cacdac disclosed.

Cacdac said the DMW is closely working with the DFA for the safe and immediate release of the Filipinos.

Of the 21 Filipino crewmen of the Eternity C, eight had been rescued and are already reunited with their families, while one is still missing.

Cacdac said they are still validating reports that three of the Filipino crewmen were killed in the missile attack.

“Three were killed based on the account of the survivors. But again, that is still subject to further confirmation since no bodies have been recovered,” he said.

Cacdac admitted that it would be difficult to validate the deaths, considering that the vessel sank after the missile attack.

He said amid the threat of Houthi rebels further intensifying their attacks, the DMW is studying the possibility of imposing a blanket ban on the deployment of Filipino seamen to foreign vessels passing through the Red Sea.

“If we were informed by the DND (Department of National Defense) and DFA that the area is dangerous for all seafarers, we will take that into consideration, whether or not to allow Filipino seafarers to board ships navigating through the Red Sea,” Cacdac said. — Mayen Jaymalin