Duterte welcomes Saudi prince in Malacañang

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif pose for a photo as the latter paid a courtesy call on the President at the Malacañan Palace on March 19, 2018. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Saudi Arabian Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif was formally welcomed by President Rodrigo Duterte at the Palace on Monday, March 19.

Prince Abdulaziz, who is also the interior minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ended his three-day visit in the Philippines with a meeting with the Philippine President in Malacañang.

He arrived in the country on Saturday evening at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, along with Attachés Mohameed Hamed Al Baraikan and Mohammad Alhamhum, Third Secretary Mohammed Al Otaibi, and embassy official Faris Almutairi.

Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher “Bong” Go shared a photo showing the President and some Cabinet members having a discussion with the Arabian prince.

Duterte and the interior minister met to discuss various issues such as economic and security cooperation, battling terrorism, and promotion of overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) rights and welfare.

“The President said there is need to expand cooperation across many fields, especially in security, trade, and investment, as well as in promoting the rights, safety, and well-being of Filipinos,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a message sent to media.

Roque said that the prince “reaffirmed the importance of the Philippines to Saudi Arabia” as he conveyed the personal and warm wishes of His Majesty and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salaman to the President.

According to the Palace official, the prince also conveyed “the deep respect of the Saudi King for the President’s strong and decisive action that led to the liberation of Marawi from extremists and terrorists.”

“The President thanked the Prince for the visit and reaffirmed the commitment of the Philippines to defeat and break the backbone of terrorism and violent extremism,” the spokesman noted.

Before the Arabian prince returns back to his country, the Chief Executive hosted a luncheon for him where they also talk about “issues of mutual importance, particularly in law enforcement, peace and order, and security.”

This meeting took place amid the Philippines’ call to Middle East governments to ensure better treatment of Filipino workers, particularly domestic helpers, working in those countries.

Duterte was prompted to impose the total ban on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait following the deaths of seven Filipino household workers who were killed in the Gulf state. Among these workers was Joanna Demafelis whose body was found inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait and believed to have been there for over a year.

He earlier raised the possibility to extend the deployment ban to other countries as he could no longer stand numerous reports of abuses against Filipino workers.