Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque should just render legal help to Filipinos arrested in Qatar instead of making incessant appeals to authorities there, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said on Wednesday, April 2.

Acidre says that while the Marcos administration is doing its best to provide all forms of assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFW) arrested in Qatar after holding a political gathering, Roque, an international lawyer, ought to give legal assistance to the affected Filipinos or do some crowdfunding for them.

"Sa intindi ko, isa siya sa mga nagbuyo sa ating kawawang mga kababayang naiipit ngayon na magsagawa ng pagtitipon (Based on my understanding, he's one of those who pushed our helpless OFWs, who ended up getting arrested, to organize a gathering)," Acidre said.

"Wala namang silbi ang appeal, appeal niya sa Qatari authorities. Unang-una, wala siyang legal personality to make the appeal. Pangalawa, fugitive siya dahil sa contempt ng Kamara tapos may kaso pa siyang human trafficking dahil sa POGO. Ang pwede niya talagang maitulong ay legal aid sa mga naaresto sa Qatar (His appeal to Qatari authorities is useless. First, he has no legal personality to make the appeal. Second, he's a fugitive who is facing a human trafficking allegation because of POGO. What he can do is provide legal aid to those arrested)," he added.

In late March, Qatari authorities arrested 20 Filipinos for allegedly participating in unauthorized political demonstrations in support of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was recently detention by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Among the OFWs arrested were three minors, who have since been released. A total of 16 individuals remain in custody.  

The Philippine government responded by deploying embassy officials to coordinate with Qatari authorities and provide assistance to the detained individuals. Legal counsel is being arranged for those facing potential charges.

Unauthorized gatherings are illegal in Qatar and can lead to imprisonment of up to three years.  

Acidre said Roque's expertise in international law would be significantly helpful in securing the release or at least fair treatment of the detained Filipino workers.

“Wala naman siyang official business sa Netherlands. Hindi naman siya parte ng legal defense team doon, kaya bakit hindi na lang siya tumulong dito sa ating gobyerno upang masiguro ang kaligtasan at hustisya para sa OFWs na nakakulong sa Qatar? (He has no official business in the Netherlands. He's also not a part of the defense team, so why doesn't he just help the Philippine government to ensure the safety and justice of those arrested in Qatar),” Acidre  added.

“The government has been actively assisting our OFWs through legal representation and consular support. It would be beneficial if Atty. Roque collaborates with these agencies rather than making separate diplomatic appeals that may not align with official government actions,” Acidre explained.

Acidre also urged Roque to utilize his network to raise funds to assist OFWs facing heavy financial burdens due to expensive legal fees abroad.

“Maraming OFWs ang nahihirapan dahil sa mahal na gastusin sa mga legal fees abroad. Bilang isang abogado sa international law, malaking bagay kung gagamitin ni Atty. Roque ang kanyang talento para makalikom ng pondo upang suportahan ang OFWs na nangangailangan ng agarang tulong (Many of our OFWs are having difficulty because of high legal fees abroad. As an international lawyer, it's a big help if he could use his talent to source funding and help them),” Acidre said.

“This is not about politics; this is about helping our fellow Filipinos who are in dire need abroad. We should pool our resources and expertise together instead of acting individually,” Acidre said.