Duterte thanks Sri Lankan gov’t for OFW assistance amid pandemic

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte thanked the Sri Lankan government for its assistance to overseas Filipino workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of President (OP) said.

In a statement on the June 28 phone call Duterte had with his Sri Lankan counterpart Gotabaya Rajapaksa to mark the 60th anniversary of the bilateral relations of two countries, the OP said the two leaders renewed their shared commitment to further enhance cooperation.

"The President thanked the Sri Lankan government for its assistance in the repatriation of Filipinos amid this pandemic and for the safe return of Filipino seafarers in the MT New Diamond that caught fire off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka in September 2020," the OP said.

The OP said the MT New Diamond had 18 Filipino crewmembers. Of the 18, one of them died because of the incident.

"The Sri Lankan Navy rescued 22 crew members, 17 of whom were Filipinos," the OP said. "They were accommodated in Sri Lanka until their repatriation in September 26 and October 16, 2020." 

"For his part, President Rajapaksa extended deepest appreciation for the cooperation and mutual support between Sri Lanka and the Philippines in multilateral venues, including at the United Nations Human Rights," the OP added.

President Duterte also conveyed the Philippine government's interest to strengthen engagement with Sri Lanka in the United Nations on issues of common interest.

"The two leaders committed to explore new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of security and defense, trade and investment, labor migration, and tourism. They also agreed that combatting COVID-19 is a shared responsibility and an opportunity to work in solidarity with all nations," the OP pointed out.

Lastly, the Sri Lankan leader invited President Duterte to visit Sri Lanka, to which the latter responded by saying that he is looking forward to undertaking such visit once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News