THE Malacañang assured on Monday, March 31, 2025, the provision of assistance to the Filipinos who were arrested in Qatar after holding a picket protest in relation to the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Philippine Government under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. vowed to fulfill its obligations to all Filipinos across the world regardless of any political color.
“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 still the obligation of our government, of the administration, to assist Filipinos, regardless of their background. We do not discriminate, and there is no favoritism regarding this matter. As long as they are fellow Filipinos, the administration will help them.)
Castro reiterated that the Marcos administration will not prevent anyone, especially Filipinos, from airing their support for Duterte.
Currently, she said the Philippine Embassy in Qatar has already provided legal assistance to the arrested Filipinos.
Earlier, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said that 20 Filipinos were detained after conducting a demonstration against what they claim was the 'unlawful' arrest of Duterte based on an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid its ongoing investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity during the implementation of his drug war.
Of the 20, one had already been released. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)