FACT-CHECK: Filipinos arrested in Qatar due to illegal assembly

Apr 5, 2025 | Fact Checked by PressOnePH

CLAIM: Filipinos were arrested in Qatar during a political gathering due to expired residence permits and visas.
 
RATING: FALSE

 

TikTok videos falsely claimed that the 17 Filipinos arrested in Qatar during a pro-Duterte rally on March 28 were detained due to expired QIDs or residence permits and visas.

These videos were reposted on Facebook, along with text-only posts making the same false claim.

Department of Migrant Workers Secretary (DMW) Hans Leo Cacdac reiterated in a press briefing that the 17 individuals were arrested for alleged “illegal assembly or gathering without a permit” and “gatherings that potentially disturb public security.”

On the day of the arrests, the official Facebook page of the Philippine Embassy in Qatar reposted a March 13 advisory reminding Filipino nationals in the country to comply with local laws and customs, particularly those related to mass demonstrations.

The caption of the post confirms that the embassy was “aware that several Filipino nationals have been arrested and detained.”

One of the TikTok videos has garnered 19.4k reactions and 4,120 comments. Regner Atutubo


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