Page 170 - AAE PR REPORT - MARCH 2025

4/2/25, 9:05 AM Filipinos in UAE say they cannot afford to support Duterte by withholding payments back home | The National
Filipinos in UAE say they cannot afford

to support Duterte by withholding

payments back home

Former president detained in The Hague over charges related to deadly war on drugs

Ramola Talwar Badam
March 27, 2025

Filipinos living in the UAE have said they are unable to back a campaign supporting the

country's former president Rodrigo Duterte by stopping sending money back to the Philippines.

A campaign by Filipinos working overseas to withhold payments back to their home country

began on Friday, in protest against the detention of Mr Duterte. He was arrested this month
in Manila by police acting on an International Criminal Court warrant accusing him of crimes

against humanity in connection to his deadly war on drugs.

Mr Duterte was flown to a detention unit in The Hague, where he has remained since. The

protest, known as "zero remittance week", was scheduled to coincide with the former
president's 80th birthday on Friday and will run until April 4.

“It will not be effective. Who will be affected? It will not affect the Philippines, only our families

will be affected,” said Albert Serna, 59, an Abu Dhabi resident who sent home Dh5,000 to his

wife and children on Friday.

“Even my pro-Duterte friends are sending money home today. I’m not pro-Duterte and also not
pro-Marcos.

“I don’t agree with my friends, I don’t feel that you can idolise one person like Duterte. I once did
support Duterte but I want a politician who does good for the people, builds the economy, gives

employment to people.

Duterte became president in 2016 promising a merciless crackdown to rid the country of drugs.

He has immense popularity at home and overseas although rights groups and families of victims
have hailed his arrest.

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