Roque hopeful Duterte may consider partially lifting deployment ban to Kuwait

Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque. YANCY LIM / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

A Malacañang official is confident that President Rodrigo Duterte would order a partial lifting of the total deployment ban to Kuwait after the signing of the memorandum of agreement on the protection of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“I am confident that with the signing of the MOA, meron partial lifting na mangyayari pero di pa siguro full lifting until we arrange the details, the other details,” Roque said in a video interview with reporters in Malacañang.

READ: PH, Kuwait to sign MOA on OFWs

The President has imposed a ban in the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait following the reported abuse of Filipino workers there, particularly the death of Filipino maid Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found stuffed inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment a year after she was reported missing.

The Philippines and Kuwait then engaged in talks to come up with a MOA to protect OFWs but the deal between the two nations went in limbo after the rescue of Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait angered the Kuwaiti government, citing it was a violation of the state’s sovereignty.

Roque, however, said the Philippines and Kuwait finally agreed to proceed with the signing of the MOA on Friday.

“I think both the PHL and Kuwait, hindi lang naman Kuwait, both of us we want to move on, we want to normalize ties, we want a win-win situation and we got a win-win situation,” he said. /jpv

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