Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said he is not keen on imposing a total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait.
Marcos was responding to calls for the Philippines to impose such a ban after the Gulf state stopped issuing new entry visas to Filipinos.
“I’m never very comfortable ‘yung nagba-ban na ganun dahil parang ang pag-ban sinasabi mo forever na ‘yan, hindi na pwede (with banning people like that because it’s like you’re saying that banning is forever, it’s not possible anymore),” Marcos told reporters.
He said a ban could be an “overreaction” to Kuwait’s decision to deny entry to Filipinos.
He said it was Kuwait that shut out overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) after the Philippine government supposedly broke labor agreements.
The ban was triggered by the brutal murder in Kuwait of OFW Jullebee Ranara who was reportedly raped, murdered, burnt, and then thrown in the desert by her employer.
The President said that while the government is taking Kuwait’s decision as it is, it will continue to negotiate with the Middle Eastern nation in the hopes of remedying the rift.
While the ban does not cover Filipinos with residency status in Kuwait, over 800 OFWs with jobs waiting for them have been displaced.
Arenas said Kuwait is resorting to coercion to pressure the Philippines into lifting the domestic workers ban.
“It pains me to see OFWs being abused — more so slaughtered by people whom they selflessly served. This barbaric act against our OFWs should be condemned by humanity and the entire international community,” she said.
“Our OFWs should be sent to countries who will treat them with dignity, protect their rights, and promote their welfare,” Arenas said.
Last week, a team from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration officials flew to Kuwait to talk things over with the government there. — Catherine S. Valente
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