Duterte mulls banning OFWs to other countries where they are abused

February 19, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte is mulling to impose the deployment ban of Filipino workers to other countries where they are also maltreated, similar to what happened in Kuwait.   In a speech before the Filipino Chinese community, Duterte said the deployment ban in Kuwait would continue. "The ban will continue and it will extend to other countries," he said, stressing that he did not want to deploy Filipinos abroad just to be abused. Duterte did not mention the other countries where he plans to ban the deployment of overseas Filipino workers. The President appealed to all the countries where there are Filipino workers to treat them humanely. He said Filipinos only go abroad to seek livelihood. "I'm addressing myself, not only to Kuwait but to the entire nations in the world to say that Filipinos are everywhere seeking livelihood, can I please plead to you? Please do not degrade them like animals, do not treat them as a slave. We know that a slave is a slave and she can be raped," he said. He told the other countries to give the Filipino workers the "dignity of a human being." "You treat us humanely, be tolerant of our cultural differences and do not abuse our women because it will inflict a long and lasting wound. Maybe this generation cannot and will not forget it," he said. Duterte has ordered a total deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait following the death of a household helper who was found inside a freezer. Celerina Monte/DMS