Malacañang on Sunday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will focus on the wider effects of the Middle East crisis as he ordered the DMW and OWWA to take care of the needs of OFWs affected by the war.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai said they are looking into reports that Filipino nationals might be among those detained for posting or sharing online contents related to recent attacks and air defense interceptions.
This as 343 more repatriated OFWs arrived safely in Manila yesterday. DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac confirmed that returning OFWs will benefit from job fairs, livelihood programs, and reskilling initiatives through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
They will also receive medical assistance overseen by the Department of Health. Cacdac told reporters,
Palace Press Undersecretary Claire Castro also confirmed that Marcos was focused on addressing the broader impact of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
“There are DMW and OWWA which the President has ordered to take care of and help our countrymen, while the President also has important roles to organize additional programs and assistance to our countrymen to alleviate the impact on our country of what is happening in the Middle East,” Castro said.
From March 5 to 14, a total of 1,022 OFWs and 293 dependents have been repatriated amid the Middle East crisis.
In an advisory, the embassy said it has sought official confirmation and further details from reliable UAE authorities regarding the identities, status, and legal circumstances of any Filipino nationals involved.
“The Philippine Embassy and Consulate General fully respect the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates and its right to enforce its national security, cybercrime, and public order laws,” the advisory read.
“UAE authorities have publicly reminded the public that publishing or sharing misleading or fabricated security-related content, including videos of air defense interceptions, attacks on landmarks, or AI-generated false footage, is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment and substantial fines,” it added.
The advisory came in response to a local reports that authorities had arrested 10 people of various nationalities for allegedly distributing on social media misleading and fabricated footage of intercepted attacks and landmark strikes.
The report indicated that among the nationalities arrested were an Egyptian, a Filipino, a Vietnamese, a Pakistani, an Iranian, a Bangladeshi, a Cameroonian, a Nepalese and two Indians.
The embassy also cautioned Filipinos in the UAE to exercise utmost caution and responsibility in their use of social media and messaging platforms.
“Filipinos are advised to refrain from recording, posting, forwarding, or commenting on unverified or sensitive security-related content; to avoid spreading rumors or speculative information and to rely only on official announcements of UAE authorities and credible news sources for information on ongoing security situations,” the embassy said.
It also ensured continued coordination with local authorities and called on the Filipino community to strictly adhere to local laws, customs, and security protocols established for everyone’s safety in the UAE.
Under UAE law, such acts are considered crimes and can result in imprisonment for at least one year and a fine of no less than Dh100,000, citing deliberate spread of misinformation, threats to public security, spreading fear, and undermining social stability.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “PBBM focused on broader response to Middle East Crisis ”
