Philippine Consul-General Renato Dueas Jr. has verified to Khaleej Times that the five Filipino expatriates detained by Sharjah Police for allegedly posting an offensive video on TikTok are in good health.
Dueas stated, "On Wednesday, the Philippine Consulate's ATN ((Assistance to Nationals)) representative and legal counsel visited the five detained Filipinos in Sharjah to assess their condition. They were given legal counsel in advance of their imminent hearing."
"The consulate, through DFA-OUMWA's (Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs) ATN Fund, will provide them with welfare assistance for their basic needs while they are in detention," he added.
Five Filipinos were arrested in March after allegedly uploading an "indecent video" to TikTok. They believed it was "just for fun" and were unaware it could land them in legal hot water. "They were mistaken for prostitutes," a sibling of one of those detained explained.
The Philippine Consulate has reiterated its request that Filipinos in the UAE "respect the customs of the host government and exercise caution when posting content on social media."
According to Article 17 of the United Arab Emirates Cybercrime Law, online posting of pornographic materials, gambling, or any activity that may offend public decorum is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to Dh500,000. The offender may also be deported after serving his or her sentence.
