DFA: Power disruption, not disconnection, in Kuwait

MANILA, Philippines — There was no deliberate disconnection of water and electricity supply to the residence of expelled Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa in Kuwait, contrary to a newspaper report, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

In a statement, the DFA said the report by The STAR was inaccurate and malicious and may have been a result of manipulation.

“It is unfortunate that a respected publication like The Philippine STAR appears so open to manipulation,” the DFA said.

“No less than Ambassador Villa himself has said the power loss was temporary and was restored after three hours and that the water supply was never interrupted and that at no point did he feel unsafe to require him to move to the embassy,” the DFA said.

The DFA also described as “fictitious” the reported shouting match between Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

The DFA insisted that the shouting match which supposedly happened on Thursday in Singapore in the presence of other Cabinet members never took place.

“STAR reporter Pia Lee Brago wanted us to believe the next day that the career corps is up in arms against the Secretary on the basis of a supposed letter shared to her by her sources,” the DFA added.

The report, the DFA said, appears to be part of a well-orchestrated campaign to undermine the department’s efforts to protect and promote the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos.

“The Department will not be deterred by these attempts to divert us away from pursuing our mission. We remain focused on our vision to advance the interest of Filipinos overseas,” the DFA said.

The DFA, meanwhile, did not say how it intends to extricate three diplomatic personnel issued warrants of arrest for the rescue of distressed workers from Kuwaiti households.

Grave concern

With no end in sight yet to the Kuwait impasse, Vice President Leni Robredo has expressed grave concern over the fate of the remaining Filipinos in the Arab state.

“We are gravely concerned that recent actions taken by the administration, particularly the deliberate release in both media and social media of videos of ‘rescue missions’ undertaken by DFA personnel in Kuwait, have created a diplomatic challenge that could further jeopardize our workers in that country,” Robredo said.

The Vice President was referring to a viral video record of embassy personnel rescuing a distressed Filipino worker in Kuwait.

The release of the video angered the Kuwaiti government and led to the expulsion of Villa.

Robredo said she is worried about the fate of 260,000 OFWs who may lose their jobs because of the diplomatic row between the two countries.

“The capacity of the Philippine embassy in Kuwait to protect those who remain may be compromised as they deal with the serious strain in our diplomatic relations with the Kuwaiti government as a result of the incident,” she pointed out.

She said decisive steps must be taken at the soonest time to rectify the situation and prevent further harm to OFWs.

“These must start with an honest and candid acknowledgment of the crisis, a willingness to accept accountability and a conviction to do what is right,” she said.

Robredo continues to hope the memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and Kuwait for better protection for Filipino workers would still be signed.

“We are hopeful that the window of opportunity to salvage the planned memorandum of understanding with Kuwait, which promises to provide long-term protection of our workers there, has not yet closed,” she said.

In a speech at the launch of the new Passport on Wheels yesterday, Cayetano said the issues with Kuwait are being ironed out and any miscommunication is being clarified.

He again defended the rescue of troubled OFWs.

“That’s where I ask for understanding. To those who claim that the rescue was improper, I beg to disagree. It is within the international conventions. It is the right of the state to protect. But of course the coordination and the sensitivities must be observed,” Cayetano said.

He said they are still scouting for Villa’s replacement.

“We’ll look for someone whose expertise can really help the situation there and who understands the region and the culture so we’re vetting already,” Cayetano said.

He denied that there is an ongoing loyalty check within the DFA.

He urged DFA personnel not to sign any petition expressing support for him.

“There’s no loyalty check. If there are people here in DFA who will ask you to sign, don’t sign it,” he said.

Cayetano maintained he is ready to leave the DFA if its officials no longer support him.

“I don’t expect the professionals, the career officials to just follow. I am here to earn their respect, to earn the right to lead them. I will not demand it of them,” he said.

Also at yesterday’s event, foreign affairs assistant secretary Frank Cimafranca expressed support for the embattled DFA chief.

“Contrary to what is appearing in the papers, we in the career service are solidly behind his leadership. I can assure you sir that the men and women of the Office of Consular Affairs will follow as you lead,” he said in remarks at the event.  – With Helen Flores