.UZALT ³:E CONDEPN VTATEPENTV IUOP TKE 3KLOLSSLNE SUEVLDENT´

3HILI33IN(S - A top .uwaiti official condemned on Tuesday a call by 3hilippine 3resident 5odrigo 'uterte to evacuate his country’s workers from .uwait, suggesting 'uterte could damage ties between the two countries. 'uterte said last week that his government would ask private airlines to evacuate Filipino nationals from .uwait within

2 hours, after the discovery of the dead body of a Filipino migrant worker in a freezer. Two planes full of workers arrived in Manila from .uwait on Monday on flights provided for free by commercial airlines at the president’s request. On Sunday, the 3hilippine labor minister said more than 2,200 Filipinos were ready to take up 'uterte’s offer. “We are surprised and we condemn statements from the 3hilippine president, especially as we are in contact with the 3hilippines on a high level to explain the workers’ conditions in .uwait,´ said .uwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah al-.halid al-Sabah. He was speaking at a Moint news conference with US Secretary of State 5ex Tillerson during a meeting in .uwait of the global coalition against Islamic State. “(scalation does not serve the ties between .uwait and the 3hilippines,´ Sheikh Sabah said, adding that 1 0,000 Filipinos “live a decent life in .uwait ... but separate accidents unfortunately happen, and we are providing our Filipino counterparts with the results of the investigations.´ The 3hilippines suspended sending workers to .uwait in January after reports that abuse by employers had driven several to suicide. (Reuters)