Robredo wants PH, Kuwait to sign bilateral agreement to protect OFWs

Vice President Leni Robredo. Photo from the Leni Robredo Media Bureau

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday urged both the Philippine and Kuwaiti governments to sign the pending bilateral agreement amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for a deployment ban of OFWs to the Gulf state.

In Robredo’s weekly radio show, the vice president expressed that the agreement would protect the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Kuwait.

Robredo said that the call of Duterte for a deployment ban is a “strong response to reports of violence against Filipino workers in the Gulf nation.”

“Tingin ko tama iyong ginawa ng ating Pangulo,” she said. “Talagang isang malakas na statement [ito] sa mga nangyayaring karahasan.”

(I think that what the President was right. It sends a strong statement against the abuses.)

Robredo also expressed hope that the visit of Duterte to Kuwait would result to the signing of the agreement.

“Sana iyong kaniyang pagbisita, magbibigay ng pressure sa pamahalaan ng Kuwait na pirmahan na,” Robredo said.

(I hope that his visit will put pressure on the Kuwaiti government to sign the agreement.)

“Kasi kahit ganito iyong nangyayari, ang reality talaga, iyong mga Pilipinong nandoon na hindi naman nagdadaan sa ganitong pagsubok, ayaw ding umuwi kasi siyempre iniisip nila iyong kanilang employment. So kailangang siguraduhin natin na iyong maiiwan talagang protected,” she added.

(Because no matter what happens, the reality is that the Filipinos there who don’t experience the abuse also don’t want to come hop because they’re thinking of their employment. So we really need to ensure that those left behind will still be protected.)

Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that Kuwait has invited Duterte to visit the Gulf state.

Duterte was the first one to reveal the trip during his speech in Malacañang.

“Any day now, I will go to Kuwait. The ambassador is here. I’m angry because there were already four Filipinas who were raped,” Duterte said in Bisaya. /je

READ: Duterte invited to visit Kuwait amid OFW deployment ban