PBBM eager to resolve diplomatic tensions with Kuwait

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to successfully resolve the diplomatic tensions between Kuwait and the Philippines following a brief meeting with Kuwait's Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

In a roundtable interview with the reporters on Saturday morning (Manila time), Marcos said Kuwait's Crown Prince approached him at the sidelines of the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh.

According to Marcos, Kuwait's Crown Prince requested a brief meeting to address the ongoing discord between the two nations.

"He said, 'Can we have a quick chat for just 3 to 5 minutes?' He assured me it wouldn't take long, and we readily agreed," Marcos told the reporters, describing how the impromptu meeting started.

In the discussion, the Crown Prince expressed his dissatisfaction with the actions of his people and disapproved of the strained relations between Kuwait and the Philippines.

"The words that he used are 'Do not listen to them. These words come from small people. I do not agree with what they have been doing'," Marcos said.

He added that the Crown Prince absolved the Philippines of any need to apologize. According to the Chief Executive, the Crown Prince told him: "There is no reason for you to apologize to us. In fact, I will apologize to you."

He cited the enduring support of President Marcos's father for Kuwait, emphasizing the historical ties between the nations.

"We will fix it, and we will make it right because we love the Philippines," the Crown Prince affirmed, promising resolution and reconciliation between the two countries.

Earlier this year, Kuwait told the Philippines to honor the Gulf state's sovereignty after the Middle Eastern country halted issuing new entry visas to citizens of the Southeast Asian country due to a labor agreement dispute.

Kuwait has announced that it will extend the temporary prohibition on all types of visas for Filipino workers. However, they have also confirmed that they will renew visas for those who hold valid residence permits and wish to continue their employment in Kuwait.

In 2018, the Philippines and Kuwait entered into a labor agreement aimed at regulating domestic workers. This agreement came about following a dispute between the two nations, which resulted in a ban on Filipino workers after a domestic worker was tragically murdered.

This year, another distressing incident occurred when a 35-year-old Filipina maid was killed by a Kuwaiti teenager, prompting the Philippines to reevaluate its labor agreement with Kuwait.

This incident occurred nearly five years after the murder of Joanna Daniela Demafelis, a Filipina domestic worker whose body was discovered in a freezer after being killed by her employers.

These events caused a diplomatic strain and led the then-president, Rodrigo Duterte, to temporarily ban Filipinos seeking employment in the Gulf country.