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MANILA, Philippines—Seven overseas Filipino workers jailed in Maldives for fraud have been granted presidential pardon and are now back in the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a news release Thursday.

The OFWs arrived in Manila on August 13, and were met at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by representatives of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Their pardon and repatriation were made possible through the efforts of then Philippine Ambassador to Dhaka Zenaida Tacorda-Rabago, the embassy and the Philippine honorary consulate in Maldives.

The DFA and the embassy actively sought avenues for their release/deportation through the recently-approved “Clemency Law,” which empowers the president to grant pardons to prisoners.

These Filipinos were found guilty of credit card theft on different occasions and using them to purchase goods amounting to about $60,000 in February 2009.

While only three OFWs were involved in stealing the cards, the other four were recipient of the goods, which is also punishable under Maldivian penal code.

The seven OFWs were meted the maximum penalty of 63 years and 11 months, but with the successful intervention of the Philippine honorary consul, the court reduced the penalty to 25 years’ imprisonment.

According to current Philippine Ambassador to Dhaka Bahnarim Guinomla, the seven Filipinos were released on condition that they do not return to Maldives during the initial sentence period of 25 years.

The embassy worked with the DFA-OUMWA, OWWA, and other key agencies to facilitate the repatriation of these Filipinos.

The wife of one of the repatriates sent a letter to the embassy thanking them for their efforts to secure the pardon for her husband.

“On behalf of my family, I would like to thank you for all the help you have done for them [repatriates]. And also to the good Ambassador Rabago for being an instrument for their early repatriation,” she said.

“It was a painful experience, but great lessons would be learned from this. We are looking forward and putting this bad experience behind us. We are thankful for a second chance and grateful for a new beginning,” the wife added.

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