17 OFWs detained in Qatar freed; costs dropped

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. —PPA Pool/Revoi Cortez

MANILA, Philippines — The Qatari authorities has cleared 17 abroad Filipino employees (OFWs) of the fees of unlawful meeting lodged in opposition to them after they joined a protest rally condemning the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang introduced on Monday.

In a social media publish, President Marcos relayed the “excellent news” after speaking with Qatari Ambassador to the Philippines Ahmed Saad Nasser Abdullah Al-Homidi, who knowledgeable him concerning the dismissal of the fees and the discharge of the 17 Filipinos.

“I’m completely happy to announce that Qatar will now not prosecute the 17 of our compatriots who had been lately detained there for unlawful meeting. They’ll now not face any punishment and might return to work,” the President mentioned.

READ: Filipinos detained in Qatar over ‘unauthorized’ March 28 protest

The OFWs had been arrested in a Doha resort on March 27, a day earlier than Duterte’s eightieth birthday, at a rally looking for the previous president’s return to the Philippines. The rally was held with out prior authorization from Qatari authorities.

Duterte was surrendered to operatives of the Worldwide Legal Police Group (Interpol) upon his arrival on March 11 at Ninoy Aquino Worldwide Airport from Hong Kong. He was instantly delivered to the Worldwide Legal Court docket (ICC) headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, earlier than the day ended.

Duterte is held on the ICC’s detention complicated in The Hague and awaiting trial for the cost of homicide as against the law in opposition to humanity regarding his brutal antidrug marketing campaign that left hundreds useless from 2011 to 2019 when he served as Davao Metropolis mayor and later as Philippine president.

Shut ties

In a press briefing on Monday morning, Palace press officer Claire Castro mentioned Malacañang had but to interrupt the “excellent news” to the 17 OFWs’ households within the nation.

“It was solely this morning (Monday) that [President Marcos and Ambassador Al-Homidi] had this discuss and it grew to become last. If they’re watching this press briefing, they might be leaping for pleasure now,” she famous.

Quoting Al-Homidi, Castro mentioned the dropping of costs in opposition to the OFWs was a “reflection of the attractive and powerful friendship” between the Philippines and Qatar.

“We will see how briskly our President works, opposite to allegations that nothing good is occurring in our nation,” she mentioned.

“Our President actually centered on this in order that assist might be given to our 17 compatriots in Qatar, and that is the end result that the case has been dismissed they usually have been launched,” Castro added.

She mentioned the selection is as much as the 17 OFWs in the event that they want to resume working in Qatar or return to the Philippines.

Castro, who can be Presidential Communications Workplace undersecretary, wouldn’t say whether or not the OFWs’ launch was an offshoot of the President’s talks with the Qatari ambassador or whether or not the matter was already resolved earlier than their assembly.

“There was a gathering some time in the past and it was mentioned that there could be a bit of fine information. As for the timeline firstly of discussions, I used to be not given the main points,” she mentioned.

Non permanent freedom

The Division of Migrant Staff (DMW) reported final week that the OFWs had been granted provisional launch and had been allowed to return to their respective properties in Qatar.

Nevertheless, they nonetheless had been barred from leaving the nation whereas below investigation.

“Pending investigation, they’re able to all go house, to their respective properties in Qatar, in Doha and ready—sure, capable of spend time for themselves and their family members. However on the identical time, since they’re nonetheless topic to investigation, the directive of the President is to supply the required authorized help to the 17 who’re nonetheless below investigation,” Migrant Staff Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac mentioned in an earlier Palace briefing.

The DMW mentioned the employees had been launched in two batches within the early morning of April 4: The primary was composed of 12 males, adopted by a gaggle of 5 females about an hour and a half later. Three minors who had been additionally arrested with them had been launched earlier.

On March 13, the Philippine Embassy in Qatar had issued an advisory reminding Filipinos to respect native legal guidelines and customs concerning mass demonstrations and political rallies after Duterte supporters held protests in different nations following his arrest in Manila and subsequent detention within the Netherlands.

Qatar’s Legislation No. 18 of 2004 considers protests and demonstrations unlawful until sanctioned by the federal government.

In response to the DMW, violators face a jail time period of between six months and three years and a fantastic starting from 10,000 to 50,000 Qatari riyals (about P156,000 to P784,000 at present alternate charges).

Authorized support

A assist group for OFWs within the Center East had additionally urged the federal government to supply authorized help to arrested Filipinos in Qatar.

“Whereas we acknowledge that each particular person has the precise to specific their opinions, even when we could differ in our political views, we emphasize that this could not compromise their security or jeopardize their employment overseas,” Migrante Center East mentioned on its Fb web page.

“We emphasize the crucial significance of completely finding out the legal guidelines and rules of their respective host nations, exercising security in all expressions of opinion,” Migrante added.

Whereas the group clarified that it had a “totally different political view” from those that had been arrested, it urged the Marcos administration to supply pressing authorized support and keep away from “politicizing the problem, particularly in instances involving OFWs who could have supported the Duterte administration.”