The Kuwaiti government has declared Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa persona non-grata and ordered him to leave the Gulf state within one week, leaving the Department of Foreign Affairs “deeply disturbed.”
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Kuwait’s decision was “inconsistent with the assurances given by Kuwaiti Ambassador Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh during his meeting with (Foreign) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in Manila on Tuesday,” in which the two have agreed to “move bilateral relations between the Philippines and Kuwait forward.”
The Kuwait State News Agency reported that the action of Kuwait Foreign Ministry made against Villa was “in retaliation for undiplomatic acts by Philippine embassy staff” when they “encouraged Filipino domestic helpers to flee employers’ households.”
The Philippine officials sending “reinforcements to the embassy in Kuwait; comprised of seven teams affiliated with the foreign undersecretary for labor in immigration at pretext of rescuing female housemaids in Kuwait” is a “flagrant and grave breach of rules and regulations that govern diplomatic action,” the Ministry said.
It added that such action is a “blatant violation of the State of Kuwait law, international covenants and charters” and “tantamount to intervention in the state domestic affairs and meddling in jurisdictions of the security apparatuses.”
(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 04/ 26 /18)