Palace vows gov't to aid Pinoys arrested in Qatar

Malacañang on Monday assured the public that the Philippine government would extend assistance to Filipinos arrested for holding a political demonstration in Qatar last week. 

During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the administration would not abandon them. 

''Obligasyon pa rin po ng ating pamahalaan, ng administrasyon ang mga Pilipino anuman po ang kulay nila. Wala po tayong sinisino, wala po tayong discrimination patungkol po diyan, basta po kapwa Pilipino ay tutulungan po iyan ng administrasyon,'' Castro said.

(It is the obligation of the government [to protect] Filipinos whatever their [political] color is. We don't discriminate, as long as they are Filipinos, the government will help them.)

She said that the Philippine Embassy in Qatar immediately send the labor attache, who is a lawyer, to help the Filipinos arrested. 

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega has clarified that 20 Filipinos were arrested for holding a political demonstration in Qatar, and not 17, as earlier reported.

De Vega had said the arrested Filipinos participated in a rally which may have been held to oppose the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte due to crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court.

One of those arrested was already released, according to de Vega.

De Vega noted that if charges are filed against the arrested Filipinos, the Philippine Embassy in Qatar will give them legal assistance since they may be imprisoned for three years.

Castro, meanwhile, reiterated that the Marcos administration would not prevent the supporters of the former president from holding protest actions and rallies. —AOL, GMA Integrated News