UAE court clears Pinoy of drug pushing, but imposes jail time for drug use

Two overseas Filipino workers were cleared of drug pushing charges by a United Arab Emirates court on Sunday, but one of them was convicted of a separate drug use charge.

According to a report from UAE news site Gulf News, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the Filipinos, who were workings as waiters in the UAE, of trying to trade 0.08 gram of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) due to a lack of evidence.

Unfortunately, one Filipino was convicted of possessing and consuming drugs, and was sentenced to a year in jail.

The court also ordered the convicted Filipino to be deported once he serves his jail term. The other Filipino will be released soon.

The Filipinos' court-appointed lawyer had argued that his clients did not possess the methamphetamine for trading, and that law enforcement procedures were carried out unlawfully against them.

He explained that the amount of drugs was too small for trading purposes or distribution, and that one Filipino confessed to possessing the drug "for his personal consumption.” — Joel Locsin/DVM, GMA News

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