DUBAI, UAE – Around 500 Filipinos are currently facing jail time in Dubai for offenses like unpaid credit card debts or pregnancy outside of marriage. But the Philippine Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai assures that most of these overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) end up with dismissed cases or lighter sentences thanks to legal support.
“We have 500 cases,” said Philippine Labor Attaché John Rio Bautista, head of MWO Dubai. “We have a legal retainer. Mataas ang pag-solve ng mga kaso o mababa ang sentensya.”
(Translation: We have a high rate of resolving cases or getting a lighter sentence.)
Bautista made the remarks during a press conference on Sunday, the second day of the “Bagong Bayani ng Mundo: OFW Serbisyo Caravan” at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC).
The MWO handles these cases through its Assistance to Nationals (ATN) desk, which was previously under the Philippine consulate. Most cases involve credit card debts, which are sometimes resolved when a benefactor, often a sheikh, pays the outstanding balance — especially during Ramadan.
Pregnancies outside of marriage also create legal challenges. Mothers may serve sentences while their children are placed under authorities’ custody. Fearing arrest, some mothers even choose to give birth at home instead of hospitals. Many await UAE amnesty programs that allow them to return home safely.
In September 2024 alone, the MWO recorded 146 cases of children without birth certificates because they were born to unwed, overstaying mothers during the first 12 days of the UAE’s two-month amnesty program. Bautista reported that 37 cases were resolved while 109 remain ongoing.
“Strict Islamic laws prohibit pregnancy before marriage,” Bautista explained. “Some children do not have birth certificates because their parents were not married.”
Cases involving illegal drugs, such as shabu, are treated with utmost severity. Those arrested serve their full sentence before being deported to the Philippines with a permanent ban on re-entry.
Through legal aid, careful advocacy, and amnesty programs, the MWO continues to support OFWs in Dubai, helping many avoid harsh penalties and return home safely to their families.
