The Philippines on Tuesday welcomed an olive branch from Kuwait over their migrant labour row, days after President Rodrigo Duterte announced a permanent ban on Filipino workers going to the Gulf state. The dispute between the two countries, simmering for months, erupted last week when Kuwait expelled the Philippine ambassador over videos of embassy staff helping Filipino workers flee allegedly abusive bosses in Kuwait. Joanna Demafelis, 29, was sent to work for a married couple in 2014 and dropped out of contact with her family in 2016. Police believe her remains may have been in the freezer for more than a year.