Philippines demands explanation after Kuwait expels envoy as diplomatic crisis deepens over mistreatment of maids
President Rodrigo Duterte has alleged that Arab employers routinely rape their Philippine workers, force them to work 21 hours a day and feed them scraps
Manila demanded an explanation on Thursday after its ambassador to Kuwait was expelled, shocking Philippine authorities and deepening a diplomatic row over the treatment of domestic workers in the Gulf state.
But relations plunged after the Philippines released videos last week of embassy staff helping Filipino workers flee from allegedly abusive employers, which Kuwait called a violation of its sovereignty.
The Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano apologised, but Kuwaiti officials announced Wednesday they were expelling ambassador Renato Villa and recalling their own envoy from Manila.
“The department [foreign ministry] served a diplomatic note to the embassy of Kuwait conveying its strong surprise and great displeasure over the declaration of Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa as persona non grata,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
In the note, Cayetano also demanded that the Kuwaiti government explain “the continued detention of four Filipinos hired by the Philippine embassy and the issuance of arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel”.
We hope that this development will not lead to further worsening of bilateral ties between the two countries