VP Binay urges Qatar govt to look into reported coercion in Pinoy ‘spies’ case
Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday urged the government of Qatar to look into allegations that the arrested Filipino “spies” there were coerced into confessing the crime.
A Filipino who was working for state-run Qatar Petroleum was initially sentenced to death while two others faced life imprisonment for allegedly committing espionage and economic sabotage.
Qatar's Court of Appeals, however, lowered the sentences to life imprisonment and 15 years in jail, respectively.
“These are serious allegations and I respectfully urge the Qatari government to investigate the matter,” he said.
Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipin concerns, described the lowering of sentences for the Filipinos as “welcome news.”
However, he asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to continue helping the Filipinos.
“I am asking the DFA to continue providing legal assistance to our kababayan despite the downgrading of the death sentence. We should not stop fighting for their freedom,” he said.
The Filipinos have been detained in Qatar since 2010 after they were charged of passing along Qatar's military state secrets to the Philippine government, which the latter has denied.
Earlier, DFA spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippine Embassy in Doha is aware of reports that the Filipinos were coerced to confess to the crime.
“We have raised these concerns in several high-level meetings with the Qatari government officials, as well as within the national human rights committee in Qatar,” he said.
He added that Qatar's human rights commission has assured the Philippine government “that they would take the embassy's concern seriously and they will call the attention of relevant authorities.” —Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA News
A Filipino who was working for state-run Qatar Petroleum was initially sentenced to death while two others faced life imprisonment for allegedly committing espionage and economic sabotage.
Qatar's Court of Appeals, however, lowered the sentences to life imprisonment and 15 years in jail, respectively.
“These are serious allegations and I respectfully urge the Qatari government to investigate the matter,” he said.
Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipin concerns, described the lowering of sentences for the Filipinos as “welcome news.”
However, he asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to continue helping the Filipinos.
“I am asking the DFA to continue providing legal assistance to our kababayan despite the downgrading of the death sentence. We should not stop fighting for their freedom,” he said.
The Filipinos have been detained in Qatar since 2010 after they were charged of passing along Qatar's military state secrets to the Philippine government, which the latter has denied.
Earlier, DFA spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippine Embassy in Doha is aware of reports that the Filipinos were coerced to confess to the crime.
“We have raised these concerns in several high-level meetings with the Qatari government officials, as well as within the national human rights committee in Qatar,” he said.
He added that Qatar's human rights commission has assured the Philippine government “that they would take the embassy's concern seriously and they will call the attention of relevant authorities.” —Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA News
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