Kuwait envoy left country: DFA

April 26, 2018

The Department of Foreign Affairs has summoned Kuwaiti Ambassador Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh but was informed by the Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Manila he has been recalled to his capital for consultations, a DFA statement said Thursday.

The DFA served a diplomatic note to the Embassy of Kuwait conveying its strong surprise and great displeasure over the declaration of Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa as persona non grata; the continued detention of four Filipinos hired by the Philippine Embassy; and the issuance of arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel.

The DFA believes that these acts are inconsistent with the assurances and representations made by the Kuwaiti Ambassador on the various concerns that were brought to his attention by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano during their meeting in Manila on April 24.

In that meeting, Cayetano inquired on the status of  Villa in Kuwait and Althwaikh stated that he is welcome to stay in Kuwait until the end of his tour of duty, and that the Government of Kuwait “likes” Villa very much.

In the same meeting, Althwaikh also committed the following measures that will immediately respond to the urgent requests by Filipino nationals:

o To strengthen the Kuwaiti Government’s 24/7 Hotline to immediately respond to urgent requests for assistance by Filipino nationals in coordination with the Philippine Embassy;

o To jointly establish additional centers or shelters, if needed, for distressed Filipino workers;

o To jointly formulate mechanisms to ensure better and efficient coordination between the Philippine Embassy and Kuwaiti authorities in responding to any emergency case involving Filipino nationals;

o To ensure immediate action by Kuwaiti authorities on pending requests for assistance from distressed Filipino workers;

o To facilitate repatriation of the more than 800 Filipinos currently staying in shelters of the Philippine Embassy;

o To assure justice for pending and future cases filed by Filipinos who are victims of serious abuse and other offenses;

o To assure proper and humane treatment of Filipinos who may be taken into custody after the April 22 amnesty deadline and to repatriate them immediately with the assistance of the Philippine Embassy.

o To release Filipino nationals hired by the Philippine Embassy who were taken into custody in recent days for their involvement in the actions taken by the Embassy in responding to the calls for assistance by Filipino nationals in distress; and

o To ensure that diplomatic personnel of the Department of Foreign Affairs who are still in Kuwait are allowed to return to Manila without incident at the soonest possible time.

Given the current circumstances, the Department conveyed its wish to be clarified on the actions to be taken by the Government of Kuwait on the assurances given by Althwaikh to Cayetano. DMS