3 jailed Pinoy ‘spies’ in Qatar reportedly coerced into confessing crime
The three Filipino workers who were jailed in Qatar for allegedly committing espionage were reportedly coerced into confessing the crime, information reaching the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
One of the three, an employee of state-run Qatar Petroleum, was sentenced to death by a lower court, while the two others, both technicians at a military base, were meted life imprisonment. Their case is on appeal and a decision is expected on May 31.
The Filipinos have been detained in Qatar since 2010 for allegedly committing the crimes of espionage and economic sabotage.
They were charged of passing along Qatar’s military state secrets to the Philippine government, an accusation vehemently denied by Manila.
International human rights watchdog Amnesty said the three were tortured into owning up the crime by Qatari authorities.
“Our embassy in Doha is aware of these allegations of human rights violations and 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,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told a press briefing in Manila.
“I think some coercion was involved in trying to get confessions,” Jose said.
Asked to confirm if the Filipinos were physically abused, he said: “Let’s leave it at that, that there are allegations of human rights violations and we have already raised this.”
Qatar human rights commission, Jose said, assured the Philippine government “that they would take the embassy’s concerns seriously and they will call the attention of relevant authorities.”
Such allegations of human violations were also brought up by the Filipinos’ legal counsel during the appeal for their case, Jose said.
The men, according to reports, were charged of providing information “to intelligence officials in the Philippines about Qatar’s aircrafts, weaponry, maintenance and servicing records, as well as specific details about the names, ranks and phone numbers of staff members.”
Jose did not provide the identity of the Filipinos.
Manila has repeatedly denied that the Philippine government is engaged in espionage.
While their case is on appeal, Jose said representatives from the Philippine embassy in Qatar have been communicating with the legal counsel of the accused and their families.
Since the beginning of the case, he said Philippine officials have been conducting jail visits to the accused Filipinos.
“Our Embassy in Doha has been tireless in its efforts to extend the necessary assistance to the Filipinos,” Jose said. “We will continue to closely monitor this case and extend assistance to them and their families.” —KBK, GMA News
One of the three, an employee of state-run Qatar Petroleum, was sentenced to death by a lower court, while the two others, both technicians at a military base, were meted life imprisonment. Their case is on appeal and a decision is expected on May 31.
The Filipinos have been detained in Qatar since 2010 for allegedly committing the crimes of espionage and economic sabotage.
They were charged of passing along Qatar’s military state secrets to the Philippine government, an accusation vehemently denied by Manila.
International human rights watchdog Amnesty said the three were tortured into owning up the crime by Qatari authorities.
“Our embassy in Doha is aware of these allegations of human rights violations and 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,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told a press briefing in Manila.
“I think some coercion was involved in trying to get confessions,” Jose said.
Asked to confirm if the Filipinos were physically abused, he said: “Let’s leave it at that, that there are allegations of human rights violations and we have already raised this.”
Qatar human rights commission, Jose said, assured the Philippine government “that they would take the embassy’s concerns seriously and they will call the attention of relevant authorities.”
Such allegations of human violations were also brought up by the Filipinos’ legal counsel during the appeal for their case, Jose said.
The men, according to reports, were charged of providing information “to intelligence officials in the Philippines about Qatar’s aircrafts, weaponry, maintenance and servicing records, as well as specific details about the names, ranks and phone numbers of staff members.”
Jose did not provide the identity of the Filipinos.
Manila has repeatedly denied that the Philippine government is engaged in espionage.
While their case is on appeal, Jose said representatives from the Philippine embassy in Qatar have been communicating with the legal counsel of the accused and their families.
Since the beginning of the case, he said Philippine officials have been conducting jail visits to the accused Filipinos.
“Our Embassy in Doha has been tireless in its efforts to extend the necessary assistance to the Filipinos,” Jose said. “We will continue to closely monitor this case and extend assistance to them and their families.” —KBK, GMA News
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