「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

President Rodrigo Duterte has pacified Kuwait by meeting its envoy in Davao City Monday night after it filed a diplomatic protest over the covert rescue operations by the Philippine Embassy staff of alleged abused domestic helpers in the Gulf state.

Despite the incident, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the signing of the labor agreement between the Philippines and Kuwait may take place after Ramadan.

Duterte, along with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, met with Kuwaiti Ambassador to Manila Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh.

"They discussed recent events that transpired in Kuwait. They parted on positive note, emphasizing that while the Philippines will always exercise its obligation to protect its nationals abroad, they will do so in a manner respecting the sovereignty of Kuwait," Roque said.

Despite the recent irritant between the two countries, Roque expressed belief that the government's demand for the protection of overseas Filipino workers would not be weakened.

"We still expect the MOA providing the minimum terms and conditions of employment for our OFWs to be signed soon. As in fact, they’re already talking about possible dates; and the possible date maybe after this year’s Ramadan," he said.

He described the meeting as "frank but very cordial" and after the meeting, "both parties reiterated their mutual support for each other and parted even closer as friends."

Asked how the Duterte administration responded to the protest notes given by Kuwait, Roque said, "Well, the resolution is for Kuawait government that we will protect our citizens in Kuwait because this is our obligation as a country, and we also accept the sovereignty of Kuwait that it should implement its law."

The Kuwaiti government summoned Philippine Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa and handed to him its diplomatic protest for the supposed "inappropriate behavior" of the diplomatic staff who conducted covert rescue operations of the abused OFWs. The DFA even released to the media a video of the operations.

There were also reported calls from Kuwaiti officials for the Philippine government to pull out the country's envoy because of the incident.

But Roque said recalling Villa would no longer be necessary.

"It is because of the negotiating style of the president, the personalistic, warm, friendly negotiation style of the president," he said.

Duterte has imposed total deployment ban of OFWs to Kuwait because of the murder of a Filipina domestic helper whose remains were found inside a freezer last February.

There was an initial plan for Duterte to go to Kuwait to witness the signing of the labor deal.

But when asked if Duterte would still push with the trip, Roque said he was not yet sure.

"I’m not sure about whether or not the president will still go. What I do know is he’s really tired of travelling. He’s really tired of travelling and he’s trying to cut on the travels. So I have heard that he really wants to cut on the travels. So we’ll see," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS