Philippine president to meet with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar Royals

  MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has embarked on a three-nation trip in the Middle East and promised to bring home Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) pardoned for various offenses when he returns to the country. In a pre-departure speech yesterday at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City before going on a trip to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, Duterte said: "If given the clearance, I will fly them home. With me upon my return would be those who were given clemency or pardon." According to Duterte, there are 5,000 OFWs who were given clemency by their host countries. Duterte arrived in Riyadh last night (Tuesday morning in Manila). The Saudi capital is his first stop in the Middle East. During his trip, Duterte will meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh, Emir Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Bahrain and Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha. He said his visit is "a mission to forge deeper, more meaningful and more positive engagement with the Middle East." There is much (at) stake (in) the Philippines' relations with the Middle East. It is a global center of traditional energy resource. It is a source of investment with the potential of much growth. It is an expanding for key Philippine products and services and is home to the largest group of Filipinos working overseas," he said. Malacanang Palace said Duterte will also meet with Filipino workers in the three Middle East countries to "thank them for the support for our efforts to bring reform and change in our country." Meanwhile, Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella confirmed reports that controversial entertainer-blogger Mocha Uson, who is also a member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), is part of Duterte's delegation to the Middle East. Abella stressed that Uson, a staunch defender of Durterte, joined the trip as a blogger and that she did not join the media delegation that went ahead of Duterte to the Middle East since she is a government official. "She has a large following among the overseas Filipino communities, especially in the Middle East, and it is in their interest that she has come to help boost morale and well-being," Abella said. Uson recently hogged the news in the Philippines after she was suspended by radio station DZRH, where she hosts a commentary program, because of her personal tirades against Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo. She called Robredo "fake" and an "idiot" in an expletive-filled rant in her radio program. Uson said she respects the decision of the radio station to suspend her as the management is following guidelines of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) – the governing body of Philippine broadcasters DZRH management said Uson has to be accredited by the KBP by passing the accreditation exam before she can resume with her radio program. Aside from Uson, also part of Duterte's delegation is Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda "Imee" Marcos, who said she asked to join the trip because "of the overseas, migrant, labor (issues) in the Middle (East)." 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