Signing of protection deal for OFWs in Kuwait on hold — Cayetano


Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has indicated that the expulsion of the country’s ambassador to Kuwait has affected preparations for the signing of a deal between the two countries for the protection of Filipino workers in the Gulf state.
Speaking to reporters in Singapore on Thursday, Cayetano left it to President Rodrigo Duterte to decide on what to do next.
“Now that this is happening, why would I recommend that we sign the memorandum and lift the ban? But we’re hoping this will all be clarified,” Cayetano said in a report of GMA News’ Mariz Umali for Unang Balita.
Duterte had said he would witness the signing of the memorandum of understanding supposedly set to take place after Ramadan, Islam’s holy month, after the Kuwaiti government acceded to his demands.
These conditions include passports of all overseas Filipino workers should no longer be confiscated by their employers, the OFWs must get at least seven hours of sleep daily, should be allowed to cook their own food and to avail of one day off, and should not be subjected to physical abuse.
Kuwait was angered over the Philippine Embassy’s move to conduct a series of rescue operation of Filipino maids allegedly abused by their employers.
The Gulf state’s decision on Wednesday to expel Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa came a day after Cayetano apologized to Kuwait “for certain incidents that the Kuwaiti view as violation of their sovereignty.”
Videos of the rescue mission, distributed to the Philippine media by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), went viral online, enraging Kuwait, which accused Manila of violating international laws and its sovereignty. Cayetano earlier said the rescue mission was coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities.
Manila, in response, protested the expulsion of Villa, the arrest warrants against its three diplomats, and the detention of four other Filipinos.
Kuwait withdrew its envoy in Manila, preventing the DFA from meeting him to clarify issues related to the diplomatic row.
“I’m asking for clarification not because he [Villa] was removed per se which is within their right but why assure me when you want him there and you suddenly do this,” Cayetano said.
Kuwait is a major labor destination for Filipinos in the Middle East, with over 250,000 currently working there, mostly as domestic helpers.
However, recent incidents of abuses against them, where some resulted to death, prompted the Philippine government to enforce a deployment ban on new hires earlier this year. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News

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