Seafarers to return to Philippines this week after Red Sea missile attack

MANILA, Philippines — Eleven seafarers from the merchant ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea will return to the Philippines this week, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Sunday.

Two Filipino seafarers were among those killed after a missile fired by the Iran-aligned militants struck the fuel tanks of the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier True Confidence.

Three Filipino crew members were also injured, with two in serious condition.

“Eleven crew members will come home on Tuesday: 10 unharmed and one injured,” DMW officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB. 

In a statement posted on X, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the 13 surviving Filipino seafarers are currently in Djibouti and are being assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt to return home. 

“The government is in constant contact with their families, and we will spare no effort in bringing their remains home,” Marcos said, adding assistance will be given to the seafarers and their relatives. 

Not yet retrieved

Cacdac said the remains of the two deceased Filipino seafarers have not been retrieved yet.

According to the DMW official, the “heat signature is still high,” preventing the salvaging team hired by the shipowner from entering the vessel.

Houthi rebels have been targeting merchant vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden, a vital trade route, since November but last week’s deaths were the first reported civilian fatalities resulting from such an attack.

The Houthis said their attacks on vessels are intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians in war-torn Gaza. 

“The Philippines joins global calls for the end to this conflict and for full respect for the principle of freedom of navigation,” Marcos said. 

“We remain firmly committed to the safety and welfare of our seafarers and overseas Filipino workers in the region,” he added.

The Philippines is still seeking the release of 17 Filipinos held hostage by the Houthis in November after the rebels seized their ship. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Agence France-Presse