DFA identifies Pinoy casualty in Lebanon sea mishap

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed yesterday that a Filipino engineer is dead while seven Filipino seafarers are missing after the Panamanian cargo Dany F II sank off the coast of Tripoli, Lebanon last Thursday due to stormy weather.

The DFA identified the Filipino casualty as 3rd Engineer Alex Crisostomo.

In a report to the DFA, Chargé d’Affaires Mohd. Noordin Pendosina Lomondot of the Philippine embassy in Beirut said the seven seafarers missing are Manuel Calaor, Leonardo Tiongson, Fuller Edgar, Manuel Bordas Jr., Benedicto Cruz, Enrico Librada and Vilter Amit.   

Relatives of the fatality and those missing have been notified by the victims’ manning agency.

The Philippine embassy in Damascus, Syria also informed the DFA that the seafarer who was rescued in Tartus, Syria is already in their custody and has undergone medical examination and is in good condition.

They have also prepared his travel documents and are ready to process the exit visa for his repatriation.

Thirteen Filipino seafarers have been rescued after the sea mishap, 12 of them are now safely in Tripoli and one in Tartus. 

They are Danilo Policarpio, Wilson Vicente, Lezer Gepulgani, Michel Olivia, Edgardo Pucan, Jonathan Rada, Rafael Tarroza, Erasmo Galanza, Leolen Babao, Rogelio Dequina, Joebert Benoman, Jowey Quinto and Jason Magsino.

The embassy said it continues to monitor the situation of Filipino seafarers. 

Lomondot said in his report that the embassy immediately dispatched Labor Attaché Nathaniel Lacambra and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) welfare officers to Tripoli to extend assistance to the affected Filipino seafarers.

The embassy is also in close coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants and the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior. 

The cargo ship Dany F II was on its way from the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo to the Syrian port of Tartus, carrying thousands of sheep and cattle when it was hit by Thursday night’s storm.