MALACANANG announced on Monday that charges against 17 Filipino workers detained in Qatar have been dismissed, securing their release. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro attributed the dismissal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s personal intervention.
“The President strictly monitored this to ensure aid for our 17 countrymen in Qatar…This resulted in the dismissal of the charges and their release,” Castro stated during a press briefing. The charges, according to Castro, stemmed from an alleged case of illegal assembly.
President Marcos appealed directly to the Qatari government for the Filipinos’ release, working through Ambassador Ahmed Saad Al-Homidi. Castro explained, “Because of the President’s conversation with the Qatari government via the ambassador, our detained countrymen were released and will no longer face charges.”
President Marcos himself confirmed the news on Facebook, stating that the Qatari government would not pursue charges and the Filipinos would be allowed to return to their jobs.
While the 17 Filipinos are now free, Undersecretary Castro clarified that the decision to resume work in Qatar rests with them.
This positive development follows last week’s announcement by Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac regarding the Filipinos’ provisional release. The Department of Foreign Affairs previously linked the arrests to a protest possibly related to the International Criminal Court’s investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte.
