President Rodrigo Duterte warned on Thursday of implementing a total ban in deployment of workers in Kuwait following the death of four female Filipinos.

In a speech at the launching of Overseas Filipino Bank in Manila, Duterte said the Kuwaiti government should do something about it.

"We have lost about four Filipino women in the last few months. It’s always in Kuwait," he said.

Duterte said when he talked to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, "my advice is, we talk to them, state the truth and just tell them that it’s not acceptable anymore. Either we impose a total ban..."

"I do not want a quarrel with Kuwait. I respect their leaders, but they have to do something about this," he said, noting that most of the deaths were due to suicide.

Duterte said the victims claimed they were sexually abused. Celerina Monte/DMS