The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi has established contact with relatives of at least one of two Filipinas currently detained in the UAE for posting conflict-related content on social media, and has committed to assisting in their legal defence, ABS-CBN News reported.
The two Filipino women are part of a group of 25 foreign nationals — including 17 Indians, two Pakistanis, two Nepalese, one Egyptian, and one Bangladeshi — ordered arrested by UAE Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi on charges tied to the spread of harmful digital content amid the country’s ongoing military conflict.
UAE investigators had identified three categories of conduct among the accused: filming and sharing genuine footage of missile interceptions in UAE airspace, creating or circulating AI-generated scenes falsely presented as local incidents, and publishing content that glorified the military operations of a hostile state. All 25 remain in preventive detention and face expedited trial.
The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai has been coordinating with the embassy, with both missions having earlier sought formal confirmation from UAE authorities on the legal status and identities of the Filipinos involved.
Before the arrests were confirmed, the embassy had already cautioned the community against “posting, forwarding, or commenting on unverified and security-related content” — a warning that carries legal weight given that violations of UAE cybercrime and national security laws are punishable by imprisonment and substantial fines.
