DFA welcomes Kuwait statement to address concerns of Filipino workers in Kuwait

May 1, 2018

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the Philippines welcomes a statement of Kuwait Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah conveying his government’s readiness to work with us in addressing the concerns of overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait. "This gesture on the part of Kuwait, a country with which we have a shared history and strong people-to-people ties, will allow us to move forward and hurdle the challenges we face', said Cayetano in a statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday. Al-Jarallah's remark came after President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to the nearly 250,000 Filipinos in Kuwait to come home following a diplomatic row with the oil-producing country. Kuwait expelled Philippine Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa last week and recalled its envoy in Manila after a rescue of supposedly distressed Filipino workers by diplomatic personnel went viral. The DFA  said it has expressed displeasure over the detention of four Filipinos hired by the Philippine embassy and issuance of arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel over the incident. These appeared to have been put on the back burner. "We acknowledge with heartfelt thanks the assurances of Kuwait to work with us in protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of Filipinos working there. This is a shared goal that should be pursued with willingness to understand and respect where each side is coming from," said Cayetano "We affirm our friendship with the government of Kuwait and its people. The strength of that friendship will withstand this misunderstanding," he added. DMS