Three overseas Filipino workers have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for allegedly posting content connected to the ongoing regional conflict, prompting the Department of Migrant Workers to issue a direct warning to Filipinos across the Gulf.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac urged OFWs to stop posting or sharing videos and documents related to attacks in their host countries. He confirmed that legal assistance is being extended to the three arrested individuals, and that the Migrant Workers Office in Abu Dhabi has reached out to their families.
The arrests are part of a sweeping crackdown by UAE authorities, who have moved against dozens of residents across multiple nationalities for publishing conflict-related content on social media. Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered the detentions following sustained monitoring of digital platforms, with investigators identifying three categories of violations.
One group filmed genuine footage of air defence systems intercepting Iranian missiles and circulated the clips with added commentary and sound effects designed to amplify public fear. A second group distributed videos that were either fabricated using artificial intelligence or recycled from incidents outside the UAE — some edited with dates and national flags to pass off as local events. Clips in this category depicted synthetic scenes of missile strikes and explosions, including attacks on prominent UAE landmarks that never occurred. A third group posted content that praised Iran’s military campaign and framed its strikes as victories.
The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi confirmed it had verified the identities and current locations of arrested Filipino nationals and was in contact with UAE authorities. It reminded all Filipinos in the country to comply with local laws governing the creation, posting, and sharing of online content — including AI-generated material — given the current security climate.
Cacdac echoed that position, stressing that OFWs must strictly follow host country security protocols and regulations.
Under UAE cybercrime law, publishing or circulating false information that disrupts public order carries a minimum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of at least AED 100,000. Penalties are elevated where the content is found to have agitated public opinion against state authorities or was disseminated during a period of crisis — conditions that UAE prosecutors have indicated apply to the current situation.
