Duterte names special envoy to Kuwait amid diplomatic row

President Rodrigo Duterte has named his adviser on OFW concerns, Abdullah Mamao, as special envoy to Kuwait amid the Philippines’ diplomatic tussle with the Gulf nation over Filipino workers abused by their employers there, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Duterte's spokesperson, Harry Roque, said Mamao will fly to Kuwait to assist overseas Filipino workers who wish to be repatriated to the Philippines.

"There’s about 800 runaways that we want to bring home. So the mandate of Secretary Mamao is to bring everyone home and to possibly normalize ties with Kuwait, sign the [memorandum of understanding on OFW protection] if possible," Roque said at a press briefing.

Roque also said the government wanted the repatriation of the three diplomats charged by Kuwaiti authorities with kidnapping over the controversial rescue of distressed OFWs.

"We want to see our three diplomats home. We want the four drivers [hired by the Philippine Embassy] completely cleared because these are residents of Kuwait," he said.

Mamao is no stranger to the task, having been assigned in 2016 to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of Filipino migrant workers in Saudi Arabia affected by retrenchments stemming from the softening of oil prices worldwide.

The Philippines had been ironing out an agreement with Kuwait on the protection and welfare of OFWs following the death of several Filipinos in the Middle Eastern nation, including Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found in a freezer.

However, videos of the rescue of Filipinos by Philippine Embassy staff from their Kuwaiti employers circulated, angering the Kuwaiti government which viewed the act as a violation of its sovereignty and decried what it called as “inappropriate behavior” by the diplomatic staff.

Kuwait also expelled Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa from Kuwait and recalled its envoy in Manila.

Following Kuwait’s decision, Duterte urged the thousands of Filipinos there to come home, adding that he will use the P4-billion aid from China to create more job opportunities in the country. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News