Bilateral relations between the Philippines and Kuwait have reached an all-time low. The rescue of distressed Filipino workers from the homes of abusive employers incensed Kuwait who said the Philippine embassy action was a violation of its sovereignty. To show its displeasure, Kuwait expelled Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa.
The order for the rescue operations was authorized by DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Sarah Ysmael Arriola. Kuwaiti authorities claimed the rescue operation was in violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations that require coordination with the host country. Philippine Mission to the United Nations staff member Elmer Cato was reportedly also with the rescue team.
But how do you deal with a situation that requires immediate response when our citizens are so badly abused their lives could be in danger? One such case that brought this dire consequence was the discovery of Filipino domestic Joanna Demafelis who was left in a basement freezer in Kuwait. Her employer—a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife—fled to their home countries. But even as they had been apprehended, Kuwait was reluctant to extradite the couple. Will justice for Demafelis also be frozen because of Kuwait’s indifference?
Because of Ambassador Villa’s expulsion, the Philippines said the Memorandum of Understanding for the protection of Filipino workers in Kuwait has been shelved. President Duterte told remaining Filipinos in Kuwait to leave and return to the Philippines. Three batches of OFWs have already returned to Manila. Those who opt to stay in the Gulf country face the risk of arrest, detention and other acts of arbitrary harassment.
There are some people who think the country will suffer from the strain and even the severance of diplomatic relations between Manila and Kuwait. I don’t think so. Qatar which has a bitter dispute with Kuwait is willing to take in our displaced workers. There are some 300,000 Filipino workers in Qatar and so far we have not received any report of them being maltreated. Kuwait is only one country that is not going to make a dent in the deployment of our OFWs. We still have workers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and even the strife-torn states of Syria, Libya and Iraq. In Asia our workers are employed in Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Aside from Qatar, the Department of Labor and Employment has been informed by Canada, China and Japan that they require nurses, teachers and other workers that match Filipino qualifications in certain areas.
Despite the expulsion of Villa, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Malacanang will send a new ambassador to Kuwait. Such a move would portray the Philippines as groveling before Kuwait because of oil and employment opportunities for our workers. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello will also go to Kuwait to repair the diplomatic row.
No one is urging the country to go to war with Kuwait. But let us at least fight for our self-respect so that others in the community of nations would treat our workers well.
Isn’t it about time we stood proud and refused to let our country be held hostage by Kuwait’s oil resources? Without our workers including skilled Filipino engineers in Kuwait’s oil fields , who will take care of Kuwait households, their children and cook for them? Let their women, who are treated as second-class citizens, do it for them.
What’s with the Sandiganbayan?
After denying former senator Jinggoy Estrada’s travel petition to the US purportedly for a speaking engagement, the anti-graft court has now allowed him to leave. This, after threatening to cite him for contempt for lying about being invited by the New York-based Pinoy for Good Governance. PGG president Loida Nicolas Lewis said she never invited Estrada who had been indicted for his involvement in the pork barrel funds.
There was no ground for allowing Jinggoy Estrada to go. He is a flight risk who might not come back. Nor was there any reason given by the Sandiganbayan for its sudden change of heart. It is cases of this nature and circumstances why our citizens cast suspicion on the country’s justice system.
Our own people are partly to blame for this bizarre attitude towards erring politicians. Jinggoy’s father, former President Joseph Estrada, was convicted of plunder in connection with the misuse of the tobacco excise tax and involvement in jueteng. And yet he was pardoned upon conviction. Erap went on to be voted mayor of Manila. He is now grooming son Jinggoy to succeed him as Manila mayor.
The poor people of Manila do not seem to have much of a choice unless another candidate with better qualifications comes up in the political horizon.