PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Friday, May 11, that he was open to the possibility of lifting the ban on fresh deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Kuwait.
In a speech delivered Friday in war-torn Marawi City, the President said he no longer went to Kuwait since he had already sent the Philippine mission to the Arab nation, including Special Envoy to Kuwait Abdullah Mama-o, his classmate at San Beda College of Law whom he fondly calls "Dabs."
"Dabs called me earlier. He said, 'It seems everything's fine. Everything's settled.' I said, 'Okay, sign the deal there. I will not go anymore. Perhaps, some other time,'" the President said.
Duterte's remarks were made prior to the signing of of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Philippines and Kuwait on Friday night.
The agreement, which is aimed at ensuring humane treatment of Filipino migrant workers in Kuwait, was signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah.
With the signing of the bilateral deal, Kuwait is expected to ensure that OFWs will have protection from physical abuse, one day off, enough sleep, decent meal, and privilege to deposit passports with the Philippine embassy.
Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that he would recommend to the President to "partially lift" the ban on the deployment of Filipinos to Kuwait, once the two countries sign the agreement.
The Labor department enforced in February the total deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait, after the remains of Joanna Demafelis were found stuffed in a freezer in an abandoned apartment in the Gulf nation.
Duterte, in his latest speech, said he might lift the ban, if all his demands to ensure OFWs' protection are met.
"The signing is today. I am amenable to the lifting of ban," Duterte said. "If all (the conditions laid out to protect OFWs) are complied..., if all (my demands) are there, I said I'm okay [with the lifting of deployment ban,'" he had said. (SunStar Philippines)