MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte will soon make an announcement on the government’s latest step in its diplomatic row with Kuwait, as the chief executive himself was “surprised” by the Gulf state’s move to expel the Philippines’ envoy there, his labor secretary said Friday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Duterte was surprised with Kuwait’s decision to expel Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa following the release of a video showing Philippine embassy officials rescuing distressed Filipino workers in Kuwait.

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The rescue angered Kuwait as it allegedly violated its laws and sovereignty.

Duterte met with Kuwaiti ambassador to the Philippines Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh last Monday in Davao City, in the wake of the controversy, in an attempt to avert a diplomatic fallout between the countries.

Bello described the meeting as “cordial.”

“He (Duterte) was surprised. Kasi after our Davao meeting, everything appeared to be alright,” Bello told reporters in Singapore, where the President is set to attend the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders summit.

On Wednesday, however, it was learned that Kuwait apparently ordered the expulsion of Villa, surprising Manila which called the move “deeply disturbing.”

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Saleh had also left the Philippines and Kuwait has ordered the arrest of three Filipino diplomats, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday.

The DFA has since served a diplomatic note to the Embassy of Kuwait over its moves against Manila.

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The diplomatic row has cast doubts on the fate of a memorandum of understanding for the protection of Filipino workers in Kuwait that the countries were finalizing.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he hopes the deal would not be affected by the incident.

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Bello shares the same view, saying there has been no indication yet that the signing of the MOU will no longer push through.

“After that meeting in Davao — the ambassador and I went to Davao together — [Saleh said] ‘your excellency when are you going to sign the MOU?’” Bello said.

Cayetano, for his part, said in a press briefing in Singapore on Thursday that the fate of the MOU will be the “President’s call”. He also said there are contingency plans for the 260,000 Filipinos working in Kuwait, about 170,000 of whom are household helpers.

Bello, meanwhile, refused to answer questions on the regularity of the Kuwait rescue mission. He said: "We have to protect our overseas workers at all cost.”

“If given this situation, I would do the same thing,” he added.

Talks between the Philippines and Kuwait for a deal on the protection of OFWs began following a string of reported abuse and deaths of OFWs, including the case of Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait in February, over a year after she was reported missing.

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The deaths of Filipinas at the Gulf state prompted the Philippine government to ban the deployment of Filipino workers there and initiate a repatriation program for those who would like to come home. The deployment ban remains in force.

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