Envoy says Manila playing ‘huge role’ in sea exercises

protecting Filipinos abroad.

Thus, the Philippines will not apologize for taking care of and providing shelter for runaway Filipinos in Kuwait, even if the rich Gulf state has suspended issuing new entry visas for workers and travelers alike from the Philippines, the department said.

“The President said... that we will not apologize... why would we do that... should we apologize for the abused Filipinos maids or for Filipinos who were killed?” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega stressed in a Laging Handa briefing.

“We’re just protecting our nationals,” de Vega added.

Meanwhile, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople continues to hold out hope for relations to return to normal with Kuwait, noting that the emirate continues to assist in sending home hundreds of distressed Pinoys.

“That’s because we are able to, are in the process of bringing home, in batches, around 400 of our OFWs in the shelters. Personally, for me there’s always hope,” Ople said at an event in Taguig City (see related story on A1 – Editors).

Last week, Kuwait’s Ministry of the Interior said it would “continue halting [the] issuance of any types of visas for the Philippines nationals as Manila rejected Kuwait’s conditions aimed to prevent the recurrence of worker violations.

The Ministry affirmed “the rejection of any infringement on Kuwait’s sovereignty or the dignity of Kuwaiti nationals,” its statement said, adding that the violations were considered “a red line.”

According to the emirate’s Public Authority of Manpower, the Philippines Embassy asked recruitment offices to remove domestic helpers from Kuwaiti homes under the pretext that their work contracts ended. Rey E. Requejo

MANILA will play a huge role in this year’s Indo-Pacific Endeavor amid continuing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines said Tuesday.

The program is an annual regional engagement activity organized by the Australian Defense Force to show its commitment to working with regional partners and ensure a secure Indo-Pacific through maritime exercises, said Ambassador HK Yu.

The Indo-Pacific Endeavor will take