Filipino pro-Duterte demonstrators in Qatar given provisional release
Former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court. Screen grab from ICC
MANILA, Philippines — The 17 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Qatar arrested for participating in an unauthorized political demonstration in support of former President Rodrigo Duterte were granted provisional release, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac announced on Thursday.
“We report today, based on the President [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s] directive to secure the immediate release of the 17 who are still detained, the Qatari authorities, in two separate batches, the males, at around 2:30 a.m., Qatari time, and the females, around 4 a.m. Qatari time, were provisionally released pending investigation,” Cacdac said at a Palace briefing.
READ: Marcos admin vows to help arrested Duterte supporters in Qatar
No charges have been filed yet against the OFWs but legal assistance will be provided for them, he added.
The rally in Qatar was among the demonstrations held by Duterte supporters on March 28, Duterte’s birthday.
Duterte had his pretrial hearing on March 14, while the ICC set his confirmation of charges hearing for Sept. 23.
In Wednesday’s interview, Vice President Duterte said the time she spent visiting her father inside the ICC detention center was “one of the longest meetings” she ever had together.
