(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Filipinos are not just guests or transient residents in the UAE but are also collaborative partners in nation-building. This was the message of Philippine consul-general Paul Raymund Cortes at a special forum, held in cooperation with the Dubai Police, with around 150 leaders of the Filipino expat community in Dubai on Saturday.
Various community issues were discussed at the event such as illegal drugs, cases of immorality, proper use of social media, new traffic rules, and campaign against human trafficking as well as the promotion of Dubai Police smart services.
Cortes said: "We held this forum because we have to constantly and earnestly remind our kababayans (compatriots) what are allowed and not allowed in the UAE."
"We are not just guests or transient residents in the UAE but the authorities look at us as partners in creating a tolerant, peaceful and an economically productive country. With this forum we want to spread information to as many Filipinos as possible the important aspect of being active partners and not just passive guests of this country," he underlined.
Cortes emphasized that ignorance of UAE laws is not an excuse and that every UAE resident has to be aware of local laws such as against immorality, illegal drugs, non-tolerance of sexual relations outside of marriage as well as laws governing the use of social media.
An official from the Diplomatic and Consular Affairs at the General Department of Criminal Investigation of Dubai Police said that they have been conducting a series of dialogues with various expat communities in Dubai to spread correct and factual information about UAE laws and to update the residents of the new regulations and services of the police.
At the forum held at a hotel in Deira, police officials took turns in discussing various issues. Lt Col Director Juma Ali Al Rahroom from the General Department of Criminal Investigation urged leaders of the Filipino community to report any case of human trafficking. He said, so far, they have handled nine cases of human trafficking of various nationalities recently.
Major Saud Mohammed Khalfan from the Electronic Investigation Department talked about the proper use of social media. He said that Dubai residents should be mindful on what they post online as the country has stringent laws against cybercrimes and abusive use of the internet.
Cortes also reminded his kababayans not to invade other people's privacy or to engage in rumour mongering and spreading of unverified news. He noted that other societies could be lenient on this issue but not in the UAE.
The new traffic rules and regulations were discussed by 1st Sgt. Ahmad Mohammad Khalaf. He said that although fines have become heftier, "our (Dubai Police) aim is your safety and not your penalty."
Khalaf also discussed how to report cases of road accidents. He said that a simple vehicular accident can now be filed with the Dubai Police in three minutes by filing it online and without the need of waiting for the police to arrive. He added that any road violations can be reported to the police by calling 901.
Capt Ahmed Bin Fahd, meanwhile, discussed the smart services by the Dubai Police. He urged everyone to download the Dubai Police app which includes Police Eye that can be used to report any suspicious activities easily and with no repercussions to the informant.
Bin Fahd also dispelled rumors that the Dubai Police app is used as a surveillance mechanism to monitor the smart app users. "The Dubai Police is a social police and we are not monitoring anyone on mere suspicions," he said.
On illegal drugs and narcotics, Sgt Muse Guled said that the Dubai Police is protective of everyone's privacy. He noted that Article 43 of the UAE Narcotic Act stipulates that, "a drug user is not prosecuted if he/ she voluntarily comes forward to competent authorities for treatment."
Immorality was another issue that was discussed at the forum. 1st Lt Fawziya Mubarak discussed the problem of having a child out of wedlock. She said anyone who is guilty of this offence will face imprisonment of not more than one year and will be deported.
Meanwhile, Cortes urged the leaders of various Filipino organisations to cascade to their members what were discussed at the forum.
Paolo Alforte, president of United Cebuanos-UAE, told Khaleej Times that the "forum was an eye-opener and very interesting since most of Filipinos who are living here aren't really aware of the laws set by the country."
Angel Tesorero
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