Qatari authorities have dropped the charges filed against 17 Filipinos who were earlier arrested for participating in an illegal public demonstration.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met with Qatari Ambassador to the Philippines Ahmed Saad Nasser Abdullah Al-Homidi at Malacañang on Monday morning.

During their meeting, Ambassador Al-Homidi informed the President that the 17 Filipinos had already been released and that all charges against them were officially withdrawn.

“Ayon kay Homidi, ito raw ay repleksyon ng maganda at matatag na pagkakaibigan ng dalawang bansa,” Castro stated.

The provisional release of the 17 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) was the result of President Marcos’ directive to relevant government agencies, instructing them to explore all possible legal remedies and extend full assistance to the affected Filipinos.

The 17 OFWs — comprising 12 men and five women — were taken into custody in Qatar after they joined a rally in support of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte is currently held at a detention facility of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, over alleged human rights violations linked to his administration’s controversial war on drugs.