Senator Drilon Seems To Worry The Relationship Between Kuwait And Philippines Than The Welfare of OFWs

President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte ordered officials to continue the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Kuwait following the recent discovery of another dead body of a Filipina domestic worker inside a freezer in that oil-rich Gulf state.

Senator Franklin Drilon, a former labor secretary, said countries under a deployment ban typically attempt to exert pressure on trade ties.

“There are consequences which we must be prepared to handle, particularly in area of trade… We should be able to withstand whatever pressure Kuwait may put on us,” Drilon told reporters.

In a blog post of Mr. Alon Calinao Dy, he said, “the order of President Rodrigo Duterte about the repatriation within 72 hours is the measure of the government to safeguard the welfare of Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) particularly household workers who experience maltreatment from their employers. Aside from this, it also helps undocumented Filipinos in Kuwait who want to get out of harm’s way.”

Being undocumented and domestic workers in Kuwait is more risky than those OFWs who work in big companies in private government companies.

It’s hard to imagine that there are still government officials who think of the profits of remittances rather than the welfare of overseas Filipinos workers.

President Duterte did not intend to offend the Kuwaiti Government, but he only did this for the good of his people.

The president even said that he was not seeking “special treatment” from the Kuwaiti government or privileges for OFWs but he insisted that they should be treated with dignity, respect and as human beings.

Yes. Respect as human beings. Don’t treat Filipinos like animals. Respect their dignity no matter what their status in life. It’s not all about the money Filipinos can get in working there but what matters most is their safety, because their dependents are still waiting for them in the Philippines.