Pinoy in UAE gets jail term for stealing BlackBerry phone

A Filipino was sentenced to a year in jail for stealing a high-end BlackBerry phone from a Swedish woman in the United Arab Emirates last March. The 38-year-old Filipino — only identified as R.A. — worked as an assistant to a chef, Gulf News reported last week. He will be deported after he completes his prison term, according to the report. The 26-year-old Swedish woman said the incident occurred when she was at a music festival at Jumeirah Beach Residence last March 4. She said that at about 10:30 p.m., she left her phone on the restaurant's table to greet her friend. "I was busy chatting with my friend when I saw two men arguing near my table. My phone was with one of them," she told police officers. She later realized the Filipino had stolen her phone but a police officer caught him in the act. The Filipino confessed to the crime, the Gulf News report said. — JE, GMA News