Kuwait OFWs may be sent to China

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said he might reach out to China following his plan to pull out all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Kuwait over reports of widespread abuse, exploitation and deaths.

Duterte told reports he would ask China to consider accepting more manpower from the country if other foreign employers continued to abuse OFWs.

“I will ask China to open its doors to us. They need teachers and domestic helpers. And I said to them that if you can consider the Philippines, we would be glad to allow our workers to work here,” the President said.

“They (Chinese) are not really as bad as the others for they are Asians. And we Asians we do not do that, that’s a barbaric form,” he added.

Duterte reiterated that foreign employers should treat OFWs “decently,”

adding that the country was ready to suffer even if it meant a reduced income.

“All I ask is that treat them, I said with dignity.Huwagn inyongabusuhin ( Don’t abuse them).They are not, you know, Filipino women are not merchandise, you buy and just do what you want. It sucks,” Duterte said.

“I grieve for the Filipinos for what they have to go through, and suffering. If it means a reduced income, it will redound to a less GDP (gross domestic product), then so be it,” he added.

The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data showed cash remittances from Kuwait from January to November 2017 amount to $735 million (P37.5 billion).

Last year, Duterte said China was interested in hiring Filipinos to teach English, while others would be employed as highly skilled workers.

During Saturday’s news conference, Duterte again reminded host countries, particularly those in the Middle East, to treat domestic workers well.

“As a worker of government, as one who also decides whether we go there or not. I will not hesitate to lose your friendship, not at the expense of the Filipino. Do not do it,” the President said.

“We accept that as a truism in today’s—the life of the Filipino. But it was just never acceptable to me and to everybody else, I think, that you allow our less—that’s—they are driven into insanity, jump out of the windows of up high. What does that indicate? It has become unbearable for a human being to live. What do you think if I’ll do that also to your citizens? Your only advantage is you have the money, actually, but whatever your God is, it’s never right to do that to a fellow human being,” he added. Before departing for an of

- day, Duterte said OFWs would be pulled out from Kuwait if another citizen dies in the Gulf state due to sexual abuse.

Duterte’s remarks came days after the Department of Labor and Employment stopped the processing of overseas employment certificates to all Kuwait- bound workers.

On January 18, the President said he was mulling a “total ban” on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait after reported cases of sexual abuses among Filipino women.

Kuwait is home to about 600,000 domestic helpers, mostly Asian.

In January last year, Filipino migrant worker Jakatia Pawa was executed in Kuwait for allegedly killing her employer’s 22-year-old daughter.

The Labor department is still probing the deaths of seven OFWs in Kuwait, namely: Liezl Truz Hukdong, Vanessa Karissha Esguerra, Marie Fe Saliling Librada, Arlene Castillo Manzano, Devine Riche Encarnacion, Patrick Sunga and Mira Luna Juntilla. All of them were household workers, deployed in 2016.