International debt

Hello: Presuming this matter is within Philippine jurisdiction, here is the clear picture of how debts from Dubai are handled when someone is now living in the Philippines. Since you did not leave your name, I will just address you generally but still keep it human and straightforward. Firstly, a debt from the UAE does not automatically become enforceable in the Philippines. Foreign civil judgments need to be recognized and enforced through a Philippine court before they can be collected here. After 7 years, it is very unlikely that the Dubai creditor or any third party collector has filed a recognition case in a Philippine court. Without that, they have no legal ability to garnish, sue, or harass you locally. Secondly, what these collection agencies usually do is send messages to pressure you into paying even if they do not have any enforceable judgment in the Philippines. They operate on fear. Under Philippine laws, especially the Data Privacy Act and the rules on unfair collection practices, they cannot harass, shame, or threaten you. They also cannot threaten criminal action because foreign debts are purely civil in nature. Thirdly, prescription is a real issue. In the UAE, most debts prescribe within 10 to 15 years depending on the type of obligation, but if no lawsuit was filed there within the period, even the UAE claim can eventually prescribe. In the Philippines, a foreign judgment needs to exist before prescription rules here even start to run. In most situations like yours, there is no foreign judgment. My opinion, Atty. Jofre, is that you should ask them politely to provide: a.) proof that they have a legally assigned claim, b.) proof that a UAE judgment exists, and c.) proof that a recognition case was filed in a Philippine court. Without those three, they have no legal basis to force anything. It also protects you in case they escalate their threats. If you want, we can look deeper into whether this agency is compliant with Philippine laws and whether a cease and desist letter or a formal response is needed. Recososa Law Firm handles these kinds of cross border collection issues and we have offices in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. You can schedule a call via Google Meet or Zoom, or visit our office physically. It would also help us if you could like and share our Google and Facebook pages below: Sincerely, ATTY. JOFRE B. RECOSOSA Owner, Managing Partner Recososa Law Firm

Hello:

Presuming this matter is within Philippine jurisdiction, here is the clear picture of how debts from Dubai are handled when someone is now living in the Philippines. Since you did not leave your name, I will just address you generally but still keep it human and straightforward.

Firstly, a debt from the UAE does not automatically become enforceable in the Philippines. Foreign civil judgments need to be recognized and enforced through a Philippine court before they can be collected here. After 7 years, it is very unlikely that the Dubai creditor or any third party collector has filed a recognition case in a Philippine court. Without that, they have no legal ability to garnish, sue, or harass you locally.

Secondly, what these collection agencies usually do is send messages to pressure you into paying even if they do not have any enforceable judgment in the Philippines. They operate on fear. Under Philippine laws, especially the Data Privacy Act and the rules on unfair collection practices, they cannot harass, shame, or threaten you. They also cannot threaten criminal action because foreign debts are purely civil in nature.

Thirdly, prescription is a real issue. In the UAE, most debts prescribe within 10 to 15 years depending on the type of obligation, but if no lawsuit was filed there within the period, even the UAE claim can eventually prescribe. In the Philippines, a foreign judgment needs to exist before prescription rules here even start to run. In most situations like yours, there is no foreign judgment.

My opinion, Atty. Jofre, is that you should ask them politely to provide: a.) proof that they have a legally assigned claim, b.) proof that a UAE judgment exists, and c.) proof that a recognition case was filed in a Philippine court. Without those three, they have no legal basis to force anything. It also protects you in case they escalate their threats.

If you want, we can look deeper into whether this agency is compliant with Philippine laws and whether a cease and desist letter or a formal response is needed. Recososa Law Firm handles these kinds of cross border collection issues and we have offices in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. You can schedule a call via Google Meet or Zoom, or visit our office physically.

Sincerely,

ATTY. JOFRE B. RECOSOSA
Owner, Managing Partner
Recososa Law Firm