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A Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) official has expressed hope that the diplomatic row between the Philippines and Kuwait over the rescue attempt of abused housemaids from their employers would be resolved peacefully.
Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the听CBCP鈥檚 Episcopal听Commission on听Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI), maintained听on Tuesday听his support for the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kuwait on the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).
鈥淚t is our prayers and hope that everything will be arranged听peacefully in an amicably and diplomatically. We always听support the signing of MOU, always after best welfare and听well-being of our OFWs,鈥� Santos said.
The rescue of housemaids in Kuwait sparked a diplomatic row after Kuwaiti police arrested two Philippine Embassy staffers for reportedly encouraging the housemaids to run away from their employers.
READ:听Kuwait protests PH rescue of housemaids
The arrests were made after a video showing a team from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait enticing Filipino maids听to run away went viral.
The incident also led to the summoning of Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa by the Kuwaiti foreign ministry over the incident.
Meanwhile, Santos said the CBCP ECMI executive secretary would be travelling to Kuwait in May to assist Filipino priests based in the Gulf state.
鈥淭o assist, be of service and help our听Filipino priests there in Kuwait for our OFWs, our CBCP ECMI听executive secretary will go there (from)听May 1 to 31,鈥� Santos said.
鈥淎lso, (the secretary will travel) to know the real condition there, and to let them feel that the Philippine Church is so concerned with their welfare, and how we can be of help and to serve them,鈥� he added.听 听/muf