Palace hopes secret rescue of OFWs won’t affect labor deal being worked out with Kuwait

April 23, 2018

Malacanang expressed hope on Monday the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)-led secret rescue operations of allegedly abused overseas Filipino workers would not affect the labor deal being worked out by the government with Kuwait.

The DFA has released a video of OFWs separately rescued from their work places, prompting the Kuwaiti government to summon Philippine Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa and handed to him its diplomatic protest for the supposed "inappropriate behavior" of the diplomatic staff who conducted the rescue operations.

Asked if the recent incident might affect the labor agreement that the Duterte government has been working with Kuwait, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing, "We hope not. But by filing a diplomatic protest of course it’s an expression of displeasure and let’s see what steps the DFA will take next."

President Rodrigo Duterte has been planning to visit Kuwait to witness the possible signing of the labor deal for the protection of the Filipino domestic workers in the Gulf State.

He has set conditions in order to lift the deployment ban of Filipino workers in Kuwait following the murder of a Filipina household worker.

With the latest development in Kuwait, Roque said he was not sure if this would have an effect on Duterte's planned trip to the Gulf state.

"But I’m not aware now of the current stand of the Philippine President and we will of course await word also from the DFA on the latest event that happened this weekend in Kuwait," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS