Cayetano says ‘rescue’ of OFWs coordinated with Kuwaiti officials

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said that the "rescues" of distressed Filipino workers in Kuwait are coordinated with the authorities in the Middle Eastern state.

This came after Kuwaiti authorities summoned Philippine Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa due to a video showing the rescue of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), as well as allegedly offensive remarks made against the country by Filipino officials.

"Mahinahon naman at very respectfully na sinagot ng ating ambassador na lahat ng kaso ng rescue at pang-aabuso sa ating mga kababayan doon ay dinadaan po sa Ministry of Interior, at nakikipag-coordinate po sila sa local authorities. Pati po 'yung mga rescue, kino-coordinate ito," Cayetano said.

"Ako'y naniniwala, maaayos 'yung misunderstanding na 'yun. Ang pinakaimportante, mapakinggan natin 'yung complaints, at bago natin pirmahan 'yung agreement at i-lift 'yung ban, maayos ang takbo ng mga sistema natin," he added.

Cayetano said the Philippine government decided to bring the OFWs home as there have been reported cases of grave abuses of Filipino workers.

"Kasi these are cases na may grave danger at puwedeng life-or-death ang pinag-uusapan sa OFWs. Siyempre, kung mapaabot sa inyo na duguan na o ginugulpi or, very likely, nasasaktan siya or may gagawin or continuous na 'yung abuse, 'pag hinintay mo 'yung normal process, may katagalan. That's why may concept nga ng rescue," Cayetano said.

When asked if Villa will be made to return to the Philippines, Cayetano said that foreign authorities are still conducting a probe.

He underscored that Villa's actions were "not meant to offend the Kuwait government."

"Wala pang ganoon. We will tell you kung meron. But they're doing some investigation now on the Kuwait side, and mamaya i-ano natin sa ambassador na sana maging fair lahat at protected mga tao natin sapagkat ginawa lang nila naman mga trabaho nila," Cayetano said.

"We will do our best to clarify all of these, and to assure our friendship with the Kuwait government and that our people there are safe, in the same manner that we are assuring them na ang nationals nila dito sa Pilipinas will be kept safe and will be protected," he added.

Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Arnel Ignacio, for his part, said the move of the Philippine rapid response team had violated the rules in Kuwait as the plan must be well-coordinated.

Ignacio also said the "rescue" should not be not have been posted to social media.

In February, the bruised and broken body of Joanna Demafelis was brought back to the Philippines from Kuwait. The OFW, who worked as a maid for a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife, had been found stuffed in a freezer in an abandoned apartment.

The outrage resulted in a ban on deploying OFWs to the Arab country.

Earlier this month, a Kuwaiti court sentenced Demafelis' employers to death for her killing. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News