(Eagle News) — The diplomats behind the rescue of Overseas Filipino Workers in Kuwait are facing kidnapping charges.
This is according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who spoke to reporters upon the arrival of Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa.
Villa was expelled from the Middle Eastern country following what Kuwaiti authorities said were illegal operations.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration deputy administrator Arnel Ignacio said Kuwait deems the operations as such because its authorities were not informed about the same beforehand.
“Ang sinasabi nila, dahil nasa bahay ‘yung isa, parang kinuha natin, kinidnap,” Cayetano said.
But Cayetano said of the 38 operations, 35 had been coordinated with Kuwait.
The three, he said, were done out of urgency.
Even then, he said the diplomats were covered by immunity, adding that they were not in violation of the Vienna Convention, as claimed by the Kuwaitis.
“We did it ourselves which is acceptable, and it is a duty under the international law but it was commotion to them..That’s why I said, I apologize if our actions seemed to violate your sovereignty,” Cayetano said.