Palace: DND looking into passing of ‘state secrets’ from Qatar

The Department of National Defense will look into allegations that military and economic secrets of Qatar had been passed to the Philippine government via three Filipinos, one of whom has been sentenced to death for the alleged act, Malacañang said Saturday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace will ask the DND to “respond” to the allegations, but added the department will be taking “necessary action” on the matter.

“We'll ask the DND to respond to this.  I'm pretty sure our friends in the DND are aware of it and will be taking necessary action,” she said on government-run dzRB radio.

Valte also reassured the three Filipinos – one sentenced to death and two to life imprisonment – of continued legal assistance in their cases.

“(K)ung may kaakibat na death sentence 'yan, normally the Department of Foreign Affairs, through our embassy in that particular place, will make representations or will render legal assistance para mapababa at hindi ma-execute,” she said.

On Friday, DFA spokesman Charles Jose said the Filipino sentenced to death was an employee of a state-owned company while the two others were technicians in a military base.

A report published by Qatar-based Doha News said a court found the three men guilty for passing along military and economic secrets to the Philippine government.

It described the one sentenced to death as reportedly a lieutenant in the Philippine state security force working as a budgeting and contracting supervisor at a large state-owned Qatari company.

Those who received life terms were technicians working with the Qatar Air Force, the report added.

According to the report, the main defendant allegedly received millions of riyals in exchange for spying services. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

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