Philippines ‘breaches Kuwait sovereignty with maid rescues’
The diplomatic dispute between Kuwait and the Philippines has intensified after the release of a video apparently showing Filipino embassy staff removing one of its nationals from a domestic role in Kuwait.
The Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister, Khalid Al Jarallah, accused the Philippine embassy of breaching Kuwait’s sovereignty after viewing the video, which was published first in the Philippines and spread on social media.
The minister issued two written warnings to the Philippines ambassador, Renato Villa, expressing “regret over such practices which can harm relations between the two countries”.
The video shows what is said to be a Filipino embassy worker escorting a maid from a Kuwaiti household, apparently in response to reported abuse. The two enter a black Jeep carrying diplomatic licence plates and drive off.
The countries have experienced diplomatic friction since February when Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine President, banned Filipinos from taking up work in Kuwait.
That came after the body of Joanna Demafelis, a maid from the Philippines, was found stuffed into a freezer in Kuwait City.
Demafelis’ former employers, a Syrian-Lebanese couple, were later tried and sentenced to death for her murder after an international manhunt involving Interpol and Lebanese authorities.
Despite the international investigation, Mr Duterte remained critical of Kuwait’s treatment of domestic workers. In February, he said “something is wrong with your country”.
Mr Al Jarallah told Kuwait News Agency that he was “saddened by this crisis with the Philippines” but was not looking to sever ties with Manila.
Philippines newspapers reported yesterday that the country’s Foreign Secretary, Alan Peter Cayetano, said that while Kuwait supported rescue operations conducted by its own police, authorities opposed those conducted by foreign embassy staff.
Mr Villa was earlier quoted in Kuwaiti media as saying his embassy would intervene to help its nationals if authorities failed to respond to complaints within 24 hours. Kuwaiti authorities summoned Mr Villa over his comments.
The two countries are now working to reach an agreement on the welfare of Filipino workers in Kuwait.
“That misunderstanding will be resolved,” Mr Cayetano told the newspaper Philstar. “What is important is that we get to listen to the complaints, and before we sign the agreement and lift the deployment ban we have a system that works.”
On Sunday, meanwhile, Kuwaiti police arrested two Filipinos for allegedly convincing housemaids to run away from their employers.
More than 260,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, many of them as housemaids. Despite laws against it, some employers confiscate workers’ passports and phones.
The Philippines embassy has a 24-hour hotline to receive reports of abuse. Kuwait now offers amnesty to all Filipino visa overstayers seeking to leave the country.
That misunderstanding will be resolved ... what is important is that we get to listen to the complaints ALAN PETER CAYETANO Philippines Foreign Secretary