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Expelled Philippine ambassador returns from Kuwait
Expelled Philippine ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa on Wednesday evening has returned home to the Philippines, almost a week after he was declared ‘persona non grata’ by the Gulf state and ordered to leave the country.
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano welcomed Villa at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last night, where the two dignitaries spoke with reporters and conveyed hope that the diplomatic standoff between the Philippines and Kuwait would soon be resolved.
Cayetano reiterated that the Philippine Embassy’s rescue of distressed overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait was done “in the spirit of protecting our nationals.”
The Kuwait Foreign Ministry late last month accused the Philippine Embassy of a “flagrant and grave breach of rules and regulations that govern diplomatic action” over its rescue efforts.
A senior official has been instated in the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, replacing Villa.
Villa, on the other hand, will be advising the Department of Foreign Affairs on issues regarding overseas Filipinos due to his “very good relationship with the Filipino community,” Cayetano said.
The content was written for Philippine Canadian Inquirer’s Daily News Round-Up, May 3 edition