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| Secretary Cacdac announcing the provisional release at a press con in Malacanang |
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac has announced the provisional release of 17 Filipinos arrested in Qatar last Friday, Mar 28, for wearing T-shirts proclaiming support for former President Rodrigo Duterte who is detained at The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.
Speaking at a press briefing in Malacanang, Cacdac
said: “We are very, very thankful to the Qatari authorities, to the Qatari
government for allowing the provisional release of the 17 as the investigations
proceed.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
While police investigations into the case continue,
the Philippine government will keep providing legal assistance to the detained Filipinos, Cacdac said.
Under Qatari law, those who join illegal gatherings could
be sentenced to up to three years in jail.
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| The Philippine Embassy in Qatar advised the organizers to call off the gathering, says De Vega |
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ed de Vega said those
held originally in Qatar were 20 Filipinos. Three were released almost
immediately as they were minors, while the remaining 17, comprising 12 males
and five females, were detained for five days until their conditional release
today.
De Vega said in an interview with
ANC that the arrests took place in a pro-Duterte gathering held on a beach more
than an hour away from the capital, Doha. A number of Filipinos were at the
event, but only those wearing T-shirts showing support for Duterte were
detained.
He denied reports that bail of P1 million was set for each of those arrested, and that Qatari authorities are anti-Duterte.
While the Duterte supporters gathered quietly far from the capital, he said social media posts were made to announce the event, which apparently sparked concern among Qatari authorities.
He reiterated that one of those detained held an expired visa, “but that was not the reason for his arrest.”
De Vega did not deny that the Philippine Embassy in Doha had prior knowledge of the gathering as it was announced on social media, but stressed that the staff there had advised the organizers not to push ahead with gathering as it was too dangerous.
He said a number complied with the request, but many others did not.
Contrary to what Duterte supporters claim, officers at the Embassy were not the ones who had tipped off Qatari police about the gathering.
“We had absolutely nothing to do with the arrests,” he said. “We’re not the ones in power. We cannot tell Qatari authorities to arrest them.
Both Cacdac and De Vega have warned Filipino workers overseas to observe the laws in their host countries.
“Ang mensahe ay mag-ingat lang po.
Siguraduhing sundin ang batas, ang mga regulasyon ng host countries,” Cacdac said.
