Three diplomats charged over OFW rescue to return to PHL, Bello says
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, May 16, ordered the total lifting of the ban on the deployment of Overseas Workers Filipinos to Kuwait.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said it was Duterte himself who ordered Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to totally lift the ban, upon recommendation of Special Envoy to Kuwait Abdullah Mama-o.
The move comes a day after the government announced a partial lifting of the same, giving the go-signal to skilled and semi-skilled workers who wish to go to the Middle Eastern country.
The partial lifting was following the signing of a memorandum of agreement for the protection of OFWs in the Gulf state between Kuwait and the Philippines.
In a television interview, Bello said that with the total lifting, household service workers were now allowed to go to the Middle Eastern country.
He said the three diplomats who were charged over the controversial rescue were also slated to return to the Philippines.
“We can expect our relations to be stronger,” Bello said.
Earlier, Kuwait and the Philippines relations were strained following a recent rescue of OFWs by Philippine embassy officials.
The act was deemed illegal by Kuwaiti authorities, who ordered the expulsion of Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa, and recalled their Manila representative.
