DFA insists no need for PH apology to Kuwait amid visa row Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday insisted that the Philippine government does not need to apologize to Kuwait after it demanded such amid the ongoing entry visa issue. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said among the Kuwaiti government's main demands to the Philippines is its "formal admission" that it violated the Arab country's laws and sovereignty. De Vega said this stemmed from the country's actions whenever there are distressed Filipinos involved, skipping Kuwaiti authorities or employers in some instances, and the creation of a shelter there. He was referring to the Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC) in Kuwait, which was meant to protect the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the country as mandated by Republic Act No. 8042 or Migrant Workers Act of 1995. "Ang position natin, wala tayong violations. Kung mayroon man ay kailangan pakinggan nila ang ating paliwanag na mayroon ding international law obligation o function ang embassies na protektahan ang kanilang nationals," De Vega said in a public briefing. "Kung violation man ng Kuwaiti laws 'yun, violation naman ng responsibility ng Philippine government kung walang gagawin yung ating pamahalaan," he added. De Vega said aside from this, the Kuwaiti government demanded the Philippines to promise that the alleged violations would not happen again and to hold accountable the officials involved in these. These are some of the things that must be discussed during the next round of negotiations, he said, which they plan to hold in July. "Hindi natin kakasuhan yung mga kawani ng pamahalaan whether sa DFA o OWWA o DOLE o DMW na nandoon just because masyadong ganado sila na mag-protect sa ating nationals," said the DFA undersecretary. "Kaya nga bigyan nga dapat natin ng parangal eh… so kailangan pag-usapan pa yan para maintindihan ang issues," he said. The Kuwaiti government imposed an entry ban on Filipinos without a residence permit, according to a circular order, citing the Philippines' alleged non-compliance to a labor agreement. Kuwait's entry ban has so far affected around 800 Filipino workers. Kuwait hosts around 275,000 to 300,000 Filipinos, most of them household workers while some are in the hotel, restaurant, and healthcare industries.

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