‘Is something wrong with your culture?’: Rodrigo Duterte takes aim at Kuwait over mistreatment of Philippine workers
Some 252,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, many as maids, with reports of widespread abuse and exploitation
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday pledged government help to evacuate Filipinos wanting to leave Kuwait, blasting the Gulf state for “inhuman” treatment of migrant workers after reports of a gruesome killing in the country.
Duterte, who last month banned citizens from travelling to Kuwait to work, said 120 workers had died in the country last year and that the body of one Philippine woman had been found stuffed into a freezer in recent days.
Some 252,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, many as maids, with reports of widespread abuse and exploitation. But it is unclear how many would want to return to the Philippines.
“When will this inhuman treatment of these Filipino workers end?” Duterte told reporters in his home city of Davao, showing the picture of a woman he said had been “roasted like a pig”.
“Is there something wrong with your culture? Is there something wrong with your values?” he said, addressing the Kuwaitis.
When will this inhuman treatment of these Filipino workers end?
He added that the government would ask airlines to send planes to help any Filipino workers in Kuwait wanting to return home to leave within 72 hours. He gave no further details.