Manila, March 30 -- The government on Sunday assured it is rendering the necessary assistance to the Filipinos who were arrested in Qatar for allegedly taking part in an unauthorized public demonstration.

In a statement, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it is "closely in touch" with Qatari authorities to monitor the case and ensure the welfare of the detained Filipinos.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier confirmed that 17 Filipinos were detained at a police station about an hour away from Doha after joining a rally to voice their support for former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte is currently detained at an International Criminal Court facility in The Hague in The Netherlands over alleged human rights viola...