Charges against 17 OFWs arrested in Qatar dismissed – Palace
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday announced that the cases against the 17 Overseas Filipino Migrant Workers (OFWs) who were arrested for protesting in Qatar have been dropped.
At a media briefing on Monday, April 7, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spoke with the Qatari ambassador to the Philippines Ahmed Saad Nasser Abdullah Al-Homidi, who informed him of the development.
"The Qatari Ambassador said that the 17 who were arrested in Qatar have been freed and the cases against them have been dropped,” Castro said in Filipino.
The OFWs were detained for allegedly holding demonstrations without a permit and were subsequently charged with illegal assembly.
The Palace credited their release of OFWs to Marcos’ order to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to provide legal assistance to detained workers. According to Castro, the OFWs are now free to either return to work in Qatar or come back to the Philippines, depending on their preference.
What went before. Prior to the dismissal of cases, the workers were provisionally released while still under investigation, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac disclosed said on April 4.
Reports indicate that the 17 OFWs were arrested for protesting against former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and turnover to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s drug war. Duterte's detention sparked protests both within the Philippines and abroad.
While Malacañang maintained that Filipinos are free to protest, it reminded those demonstrating overseas to comply with local laws.
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