DMW: 17 Filipinos escape Houthi attack in Red Sea

MANILA, July 9 ------ Seventeen Filipinos have safely escaped an attack by Yemen's Houthis on the Red Sea on Sunday, July 6, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported. The 17 Filipinos, as well as Vietnamese and Romanian crew members, were on board a bulk carrier sailing near Yemen when small boats with armed men attacked the ship.

The ship’s security team counterattacked, allowing the 19 seafarers to escape and later on be rescued by a passing container ship. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the Filipino seafarers are all accounted for and are being accommodated at a hotel in Djibouti in East Africa. "The Department remains in close coordination with relevant government agencies and with the LMA (licensed manning agency) to facilitate the safe and swift repatriation of the affected Filipino seafarers," Cacdac said. He assured assistance will be provided to the seafarers and their families.

SECOND ATTACKED SHIP

The second ship, attacked off Yemen, was the MV Eternity C, a bulk carrier that was carrying 21 Filipino crew, according to the official. Cacdac said they are verifying reports in international media stating that two seafarers were missing and another two were injured. During a virtual briefing, he said they are still validating if there were Filipinos in that list. “They were attacked very very early morning and probably late last night to around midnight to early morning. And there were sea drones and fast-moving skiffs with armed assailants and rocket propelled grenades that significantly damaged the communication systems of the ship,” said Cacdac. “In the international media, there are reports of two missing and two wounded. We are still confirming this as of this hour. We are in close coordination with the manning agent, the principal, or the ship owner,” he added.

Cacdac said he and his team are contacting the families of the seafarers to have a “virtual meeting” within the day. “We are working closely with the DFA and also with the manning agent, and we also… reached out to international groups including the International Transport Federation, the Union of Seafarers and the Amosup here in the Philippines,” said Cacdac. He announced that the two foreign-flagged vessel “will definitely be prohibited from boarding Filipino seafarers on their ships.” “Should they insist to navigate or traverse the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, they will now be prohibited from boarding Filipino seafarers in such ships. We do not want any other, any more Filipino casualties in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” he said.

‘RIGHT TO REFUSE SAIL’

Due to the incidents, he reiterated to shipowners carrying Filipino seafarers to divert voyages passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as also written on their Department Order No. 1 issued in March 2024. “We also ask our shipowners and manning agencies to report scheduled passage of ships and those Filipino seafarers on board in our OFW monitoring electronic system including information on deployment and knowledge of any scheduled passage to the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden,” he said.

The migrant workers chief said shipowners and manning agencies should also uphold the seafarer’s right to refuse sailing. Manning agents are duty-bound to the confirmation form on the right to refuse sailing provided by DMW, he said. Cacdac emphasized that seafarers must be allowed to submit such a form in a prescribed email address: sbhighrisk@dmw.gov.ph Phone lines are also available for seafarers in verbalizing their right to refuse sailing, according to the official, by calling DMW’s 24/7 Hotline: (02) 1348; (02) 8722-11-44; (02) 8722-11-55.

The Iran-backed Houthis last month threatened to target United States' military ships if the country joins the attacks on Iran. US carried out a “very successful attack” on Iran on June 22, according to its President Donald Trump.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com