President Rodrigo Duterte plans to visit Kuwait and Israel after his third State of the Nation Address, the Palace confirmed Wednesday.
Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go said Duterte’s visit to Israel will take place in September, with the exact dates up for discussion with the Jewish state.
Duterte would be the first Philippine leader to visit Israel. Israeli authorities were expecting the President’s arrival in May last year, but it did not materialize owing to the Marawi City siege, Go said.
According to Israeli news reports, Duterte will sign agreements concerning Filipinos who provide long-term care in Israel and in relation to the drug trade. He is also expected to discuss matters of agriculture, security, and the establishment of a direct flight route between Israel and the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Duterte’s plan to visit Kuwait in October is to honor the Kuwaiti government for a deal that gives overseas Filipino workers better treatment in the Gulf state.
“The visit [to Kuwait] is in October depending on the availability of the Emir,” said Go, referring to Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Back in September 2016, Duterte controversially compared himself to the infamous Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, saying he would also be happy to slaughter three million people involved in illegal drugs just like how Hitler committed genocide against the Jews.
The President later personally apologized to the Jewish community in Manila, saying he never intended to offend them.
In February this year, Duterte imposed a departure ban on Filipinos planning to work in Kuwait after reports of OFW-related abuses reached Manila, particularly the death of Filipino maid Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found inside a freezer a year after she was reported missing.
The tensions following a diplomatic row over the alleged mistreatment of OFWs urged officials from both countries to sign a deal providing better protection for Filipino workers in the state.
The eight-page memorandum aims to provide a 24/7 hotline for Filipino workers to report abuses, a special police unit to respond to such complaints, provision of food, housing, clothing, health insurance system, bank account, and even the use of cellular phones to communicate with their relatives.
During his third Sona last Monday, Duterte vowed to make sure that the well-being of Filipino migrant workers remains a priority.
“We admire our Filipino migrant workers for their selflessness and courage in enduring the hardships of living away from home to provide for their families. You epitomize the innate resilience of the nation. You have shown your willingness to toil and sacrifice day in and day out, for the long-term good of your family and loved ones,” said Duterte, adding they have greatly contributed to the national economy.
“This is why we strongly condemn the deaths and abuses experienced by Filipino migrant workers in the hands of their foreign employers. I have said this before and I say it again: I am a worker of government, and it is my vow to make sure that your well-being remains our foremost foreign policy concern,” he stressed.
Duterte then appealed to host governments to truly and dependably help the country ensure the welfare of the Filipinos abroad.
