Labor chief eyes Kuwait trip in bid to ease diplomatic spat

Silvestre Bello III

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Friday said he would visit Kuwait as early as next week in hopes of holding talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart on strengthening bilateral ties in the wake of the diplomatic flap resulting from the rescue of distressed Filipino workers by the Philippine Embassy staff in the Gulf state.

The embassy’s action  angered the Kuwaiti government, which ordered Philippine Ambassador Rene Villa to leave the country.

Speaking to reporters in Singapore where he joined President Duterte and other officials attending the 32nd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Bello said he obtained clearance from the President and Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano to travel to Kuwait after Labor Day.

He said he was taking the initiative to “find out and assess” for himself the “real situation” in Kuwait.

Saving MOU

“And hopefully I would talk to my counterpart to find out if there is still a possibility of strengthening good relations between their country and our country and probably to pave the way for the signing of the MOU [memorandum of understanding],” Bello said, referring the to proposed MOU defining the rights and privileges of Filipino workers in Kuwait.

In Manila, senators urged the administration to make “high level visits” to Kuwait.

“[This is] to show we put importance to our bilateral relationship with Kuwait,” said Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the Philippines should hold direct talks with Kuwait’s head of state “to defuse the tension and address the deteriorating situation.”

The administration, however, should fire officials responsible for the diplomatic row between the two countries and “gave bad advise to the President,” Pangilinan said.

Last week’s rescue mission by the Philippine Embassy of allegedly abused Filipino maids, which was videotaped and uploaded on the internet, had angered Kuwait, calling it a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Bello said Mr. Duterte was surprised by Kuwait’s move to expel Villa and would make an announcement on a “course of action” for Manila following the diplomatic row.

He said that this move was decided following a lengthy meeting between Mr. Duterte and his key officials after their arrival in Singapore on Thursday.

“Actually the President will talk about it later. We already have a course of action,” Bello told reporters.

But he declined to give details of that action, saying he did not want to preempt the President’s “important” announcement.

Cayetano indicated on Thursday that the government had a contingency plan for the 260,000 Filipinos now in Kuwait, including 170,000 domestic helpers.

He told reporters in Singapore that it would be the “President’s call” on what should be done with the proposed MOU.

Preparing for worst

“Now (that) this is happening why would I recommend that we sign the memorandum and lifting of the ban (on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait)? But we’re hoping this will be clarified,” Cayetano said.

“We’re hoping for the best but also preparing for the worst,” he said.

Cayetano said the President had given him “directions” should there be a need to bring home Filipinos from Kuwait and where to get the funds for that and which countries could help absorb them.

He recalled the President saying that if Kuwait could not take care of Filipinos there then he would send them home “or I shouldn’t be President.”

“And I have the same stand. If I can’t solve this I shouldn’t be Secretary of Foreign Affairs,” Cayetano said.

Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras said around 830 allegedly maltreated Filipino workers were being housed in two shelters in Kuwait, including some facing trumped-up charges after running away from abusive employers. —WITH REPORTS FROM LEILA B. SALAVERRIA AND JULIE M. AURELIO