Manila 'Displeased' about Kuwait’s Expulsion of its Ambassador, Requests Explanation

Filipino workers who were repatriated from Kuwait take part in a dialogue with a Department of Labour official at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
Filipino workers who were repatriated from Kuwait take part in a dialogue with a Department of Labour official at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
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Manila 'Displeased' about Kuwait’s Expulsion of its Ambassador, Requests Explanation

Filipino workers who were repatriated from Kuwait take part in a dialogue with a Department of Labour official at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
Filipino workers who were repatriated from Kuwait take part in a dialogue with a Department of Labour official at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

The Philippine Government asked Kuwait on Thursday for clarification on the expulsion of its ambassador, expressing “annoyance” and “displeasure” with the Kuwaiti move.

While Harry Roque, official spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, expressed the hope that this development “will not lead to further deterioration in the bilateral relations between the two countries,” the Philippine foreign ministry said on Thursday it has sent an official letter to the embassy of Kuwait, expressing its surprise and displeasure over the expulsion of its ambassador.

“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 ministry said in a statement.

The Philippine foreign minister demanded in the diplomatic note, the Kuwaiti government to explain “the continued detention of four Filipinos hired by the Philippine embassy and the issuance of arrest warrants against three diplomatic personnel.”

Manila said its embassy had hired three of the detained Filipino nationals for rescue operations that have angered Kuwait and have been seen as a “violation to Kuwait’s sovereignty and laws.”

The Philippine ambassador to Kuwait, Renato Pedro Villa, admitted during a press statement the presence of a Filipino team that has been conducting “rescue” operations of Filipino maids in Kuwait for more than a month.

However, Philippine officials confirmed that their Foreign Ministry was sending reinforcements to its embassy in Kuwait, consisting of seven teams to rescue domestic workers in Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti authorities detained three drivers, who drove the embassy cars in the so-called rescue operations. Kuwait regarded such behavior by the embassy as a violation to its sovereignty.

Tensions rose earlier this year following the murder of maid Joanna Demafelis, prompting Duterte to ban Filipina workers from deploying to Kuwait for work. A Lebanese man and his Syrian wife were found guilty in the murder.

A widely circulated video on social media, published by the Philippine Foreign Ministry last week, showed a woman fleeing a house before taking a car waiting for her. Another clip showed someone running from a place that looked like a construction site before jumping into a black car.

The Kuwaiti government asked the Philippine ambassador on Wednesday to leave the country within a week and summoned its ambassador from Manila for consultations.

The Philippine foreign minister issued an official apology to Kuwait for the harm caused by the revealing of an emergency team that belongs to the embassy, which was smuggling Filipino workers from the homes of their Kuwaiti employers on suspicion of violating their rights.



Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Support for Afghanistan’s Security and Stability

Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)
Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Support for Afghanistan’s Security and Stability

Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)
Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its unwavering support for Afghanistan’s security and stability on Tuesday, calling for respect for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while voicing deep concern over the humanitarian and economic challenges facing the Afghan people.

In an address before the UN General Assembly during a session on the situation in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, urged the international community to intensify efforts to deliver urgent humanitarian aid, alleviate suffering, and safeguard the rights of women and girls.

“The Kingdom stresses the importance of empowering Afghan women and enhancing their rights to education, work and participation in public life,” Al-Wasil told the gathering, citing the outcomes of the recent “Conference on the Status of Women in Islam,” hosted in Jeddah.

He also highlighted the humanitarian support extended by Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to addressing Afghanistan’s ongoing crises.

Al-Wasil warned against allowing Afghan territory to become a safe haven for terrorism or a hub for narcotics trafficking, which he said would pose a serious threat to regional and global security.

The Saudi envoy reaffirmed Riyadh’s commitment to supporting political, humanitarian and development initiatives aimed at achieving lasting stability in Afghanistan.