PH to maintain diplomatic ties with Qatar – Bello

FILE – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is accompanied by Minister of Energy and Industry His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh-Al Sada and Airport Chief of Protocol Abdullah Bin Ali Alsaleti before boarding Philippine Airlines Flight PR001 at the Hamad International Airport to end his 3-day state visit in Qatar on April 16, 2017. KING RODRIGUEZ/Presidential Photo

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Philippines will still maintain its diplomatic relations with Qatar despite moves by its neighboring countries to severe ties with it over terrorism issues.

“Nothing to worry about. We still maintain diplomatic relations with Qatar,” Bello told reporters.

Asked if the country would slowdown in deploying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Qatar, Bello said: “No, in fact I am going there in September…. for the signing of a labor [agreement],” he said, but added that they are monitoring the situation in the Middle East.

“But according to our labor attaché there, the situation is still okay and there is no cause for alarm. My worry is the impact of terrorism to our OFWs, so I have to go there to find out their situation,” Bello said.

“So far Qatar remains one of the best destinations for OFWs. Now with their support for terrorist, I don’t know if it will have any bearing on our overseas Filipino workers, he  added.