10 Pinoys granted clemency in Qatar

At least 10 Filipinos received clemency during the National Day of Qatar last December 18, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. A DFA release said eight of the 10 Filipinos are already back home, while one will be repatriated soon after being given a plane ticket by the Philippine Basketball Association of Qatar. According to the DFA, the 10th Filipino is facing a civil case in a Qatari court and may not be repatriated immediately. “We are continuously assisting him in ensuring that his rights are being upheld," Relacion said. Last Dec. 8, the Embassy sent a note verbale to Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting their assistance in granting pardon or executive clemency to 19 Filipinos detained in the country. The Embassy’s request, which cited humanitarian reasons and in the spirit of the Qatari National Day, was subsequently granted. The case of the 9 remaining Filipinos, however, remain unclear.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV