Duterte to witness inking of deal to protect Filipino maids in Kuwait

SINGAPORE – President Duterte will witness the signing of an agreement that will protect Filipino maids in Kuwait here in the Philippines and not in Kuwait and hopefully this will happen before Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, which starts on May 15, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.

Cayetano, speaking to reporters in Singapore where he went ahead of the President for the two-day 32nd Asean summit, said that the two countries were working to have the agreement signed and witnessed by the President before Ramadan and that was why it will be done in the Philippines.

“It’s because the time period to prepare for the President to go there (Kuwait) is very short,” he said.

Cayetano said President Duterte’s visit to Kuwait, which Kuwaiti officials had reiterated recently, could happen if ever after Ramadan.

Asked if he would recommend the President to still go to Kuwait, he reminded there were 260,000 Filipinos in Kuwait and 170,000 of them were domestic helpers.

“I will still suggest he goes there because of the Duterte magic, because of the one-on-one diplomacy with word leaders is very effective and because the President is sincere and they can see his sincerity,” he added.

The agreement being firmed up by the countries came as the government apologized to Kuwait after a Philippine embassy mission to rescue abused Filipino maids there last weekend went awry.

The rescue mission led by Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa became controversial when a video released by the embassy went viral as it showed embassy officials as convincing Filipino maids to leave their employers’ home and return to the Philippines.

Kuwait officials protested the rescue mission and said its laws were violated.