DFA sees safe release of Houthis’ Pinoy hostages

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed hopes yesterday that the 17 Filipino seafarers currently held hostage by Houthi rebels aboard a ship in the Red Sea will be released.

“We have reason for optimism because of a truce which is set to begin in a few hours. Hopefully, it will lead to if not rescue, their release,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said.

“First of all, we are talking to governments, and it’s not just governments in the region. The Japanese of course are also involved in this because after all, supposedly, a Japanese company owns the ship,” he told ANC’s Headstart in an interview.

“The good news is that we know that our seafarers are fine. And that the Houthi rebels have been indicating consistently that they do not intend to harm them,” he added.

De Vega said the Philippines is talking with and joining other governments in dealing with the situation which he acknowledged as apparently a political hostage-taking situation.

He said the Houthi rebels are not demanding ransom or anything like that but declaring that they will hold the hostages as long as Israel is occupying and attacking Gaza.

“So that’s something that is not the fault of tripulantes, not the fault of our crewmen, so we cannot but link it to what’s happening now in Gaza,” he explained.

“I cannot predict when they will be released but there have been instances before that our kababayan seafarers were taken in Yemen and all of them eventually were released,” he said, noting that this is the first time that as many as 17 Filipinos are being held.

“The government is still doing what it can. We’re on top of the situation. Some of them are even able to contact their families and we’ll get them out,” De Vega assured.