MANILA - Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano on Wednesday said he will "happily" step down if President Rodrigo Duterte asks him to, amid the alleged clamor for his resignation.

"If the President tells me to go, I will go happily and I will continue to support him. If a majority in the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) says we cannot follow you, I have no business being there," Cayetano told reporters in an ambush interview Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

"But so far, I’ve had meetings with them, they understand. They might not agree with our decisions, but they understand. So the calls are normal, it’s politics but I think kayo na mag-judge whether this last year we stepped up or we’ve slacked off in taking care of the concerns of our OFWs."

He issued the statement after Ambassador Renato Villa arrived from Kuwait.

Kuwait expelled Villa following the controversial rescue of Filipino migrants in distress from their employers' homes. The Gulf state took the unilateral action as an affront to its sovereignty.

Cayetano said he respects calls for his resignation but said that career officials at the DFA should speak for themselves.

"Now, if there are people making calls, it’s their privilege and I respect that. But don’t use the name of the department and the career officials unless sila talaga yung nananawagan," he said.

"Meron talagang nananawagan, may senador na nagsabi di ba, may ex-congressman na nagsasabi but if you’re going to use the career officials, let them speak for themselves."

The DFA, in a statement, earlier disputed a newspaper report which claimed that career diplomats want Cayetano to quit his post, saying the alleged call does not represent the views of the "entire Foreign Service Corps."

"The alleged clamor by career officials for the Secretary to resign as contained in the supposed letter came from some who do not represent the views of the entire career Foreign Service Corps," it said.

The DFA's reaction was issued in response to a report by The Philippine Star that career officials want Cayetano and his appointees to resign "for gross incompetence that led to the diplomatic standoff with Kuwait." --With reports from Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News