MANILA – Seventeen Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) detained in Qatar for allegedly protesting the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte have been provisionally released, according to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.

The group, initially composed of 20 Filipinos—including 12 men, five women, and three minors—was taken into custody for allegedly participating in an illegal assembly that could have disrupted public security. The minors were released earlier, and the remaining 17 OFWs were freed in two separate batches on April 3, pending further investigation.

“We report today, based on the President [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s] directive to secure their immediate release, that Qatari officials have provisionally released the detained OFWs,” Cacdac said in a press briefing. He confirmed that no charges had been filed yet.

Despite their release, the OFWs are not allowed to return to the Philippines as the investigation is ongoing. The potential penalties for illegal assembly in Qatar range from six months to three years in prison, along with fines between 10,000 and 50,000 Qatari riyals.

Cacdac assured that legal assistance for the OFWs is ready, as ordered by the president. However, he could not provide a timeline for the resolution of the case, stating that Qatar’s legal process moves quickly but remains unpredictable.

Meanwhile, he urged OFWs to strictly follow the laws of their host country, warning that authorities in various nations closely monitor mass gatherings and political activities involving foreign workers.