(Eagle News)– President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, April 28, urged Filipinos in Kuwait to come home after the Middle Eastern country expressed outrage over the rescue of abused Overseas Filipino Workers there.
But the President, in a speech before the Filipino community in Singapore, noted that he harbored no hatred toward Kuwait, to which he said he “owed a debt of gratitude.”
“Salamat to the government of Kuwait. Thank you for your generosity in the past years..(But) I am appealing to my countrymen to come home. Apparently, it seems that you do not like the way they are expected to serve their employers. I’m sorry for that,” he said.
He said he planned to use the P5 billion given by China for education purposes for repatriation instead.
He said there were many jobs waiting for them in the Philippines.
“If the presence of Filipinos is a burden to you, allow us to get them out..As the President of the nation, it behooves upon me to do something,” he said.
He urged the Kuwaitis “not (to) hurt” Filipinos.
“Just help us. I will look for money at kukunin ko lahat ng trabahanteng Pilipino. Bahala nang mang-utang ako, kung anong gagawin ko,” he added.
The Kuwaiti government expelled Philippine ambassador Renato Villa and recalled its Manila representative over the rescue by Philippine embassy officials it deemed illegal.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration deputy administrator Arnel Ignacio said the rescue was illegal in Kuwait if Kuwaiti authorities were not informed beforehand.
The Department of Foreign Affairs described Kuwait’s move as “inconsistent” with pronouncements made during a prior meeting between President Duterte and then-Kuwaiti Ambassador Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh.
During the meeting, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the Philippines gave the assurance it would respect Kuwait, which in turn gave the assurance it would protect OFWs in the Middle Eastern country.
A total ban on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait is in place following reported abuse of OFWs there and the death of OFW Joanna Demafelis.
Demafelis was found in a freezer in an abandoned apartment.