Philippine and Saudi leaders discuss labor, anti-narcotics
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has held a meeting with King Salman in Saudi Arabia, where hundreds of thousands of Filipinos work.
The official Saudi Press Agency reported that Salman hosted Duterte for lunch Tuesday and that the two sides signed a number of memorandums, including some dealing with labor.
A slide in oil prices as impacted Saudi companies and government spending, leaving tens of thousands of Filipinos and South Asian laborers without pay and, in many cases, without airfare or exit permits to return home.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Duterte has said his visit would be aimed at broadening cooperation in trade, investments, security, labor, energy and anti-narcotics.
In Saudi Arabia convicted drug smugglers are executed. In the Philippines, rights groups say thousands have died in Duterte's war on drugs.