Rody to discuss OFW abuse with Kuwaiti leaders

President Duterte is set to travel to Kuwait to speak with its leaders on behalf of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have reportedly been abused by their employers in the Arab country. “Any day now. Molarga ko ug Kuwait kay naay problema ang atong

mga OFW didto (I am flying to Kuwait because of the problems of our OFWs there),” the President told more than 200 former communist rebels in a speech during dinner at Malacañang the other night.

“I was angry about the four Filipinas who were raped,” he added.

The President said an Arab practice of buying slaves could be the reason behind the predicament of thousands of OFWs who have been abused in Kuwait as well as in other Arab nations.

The President then asked that his speech be cut off from “live viewing” because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Duterte made the announcement about his trip as he also met the same night with Kuwaiti Ambassador Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh at Malacañang.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III was present during the meeting.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque expressed belief Duterte was invited to visit Kuwait during his meeting with the ambassador as the Philippines suspended the deployment of migrant workers to the Gulf state because of abusive employers.

“Well, I guess, Kuwait wants to assure the President that Philippine nationals are protected in Kuwait, and to see for himself,” Roque said in a press briefing yesterday.

Roque could not say what was discussed during the meeting, saying no one was allowed in the venue. But Bello said in an earlier interview that the President and the envoy would discuss a memorandum of agreement that would provide greater protection to Filipino workers.

Last month, the labor department banned the sending of overseas Filipino workers to Kuwait following the deaths of seven workers and reports about abusive employers.

The ban came after Duterte said he wanted to meet with Kuwaiti officials to talk about the plight of Filipinos in the Middle Eastern country.

The President said the Kuwaiti government should do something to stop the abuses, which he described as “not acceptable.”

There are roughly 140,000 Filipino workers in Kuwait.