DMW to bar deployment of Pinoy seafarers traversing routes vulnerable to Houthi attacks

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it would prohibit the deployment of Filipino seafarers to vessels traversing the routes that are prone to the attacks of Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In an online press briefing on Tuesday, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said that the agency will prohibit the boarding of Filipino seafarers to shipowners under Galaxy Leader, True Confidence and Tutor, all of which recently suffered Houthi Attacks.

“We, therefore, will no longer process or allow the boarding of sea ferries on board these three principals or ship owners who had been the subject of an attack,” Cacdac said in an online press briefing. 

He also said that the agency will require these shipping owners to submit “threat and risk assessments” before allowing Filipino seafarers to board vessels bound for Houthi-plagued waters.

Among the requirements for the assessments, according to DMW, is the presence of maritime security escorts in the area.

“We are seeking the input of the security experts, not just the maritime stakeholders, but the military and security experts along these lines,” Cacdac said.

The security team that will conduct the assessment will be composed of the Philippine Navy, Coast Guard, MARINA and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Meanwhile, 27 Filipino crew members of a bulk carrier MV Transworld Navigator are safe and en route to the port, according to Cacdac.

“Once they get to a safer port, then we will undertake, together with the license-manning agency and the DFA, their safe repatriation,” he said. 

“They had been through an attack, and therefore, at this stage, we will safely presume that, first and foremost, their safe return is paramount,” Cacdac added.

The vessel was attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea over the weekend along with aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower.

The Houthis are the Iran-backed rebel group that has hijacked commercial ships in the Red Sea, Babal-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November.

The group’s attacks are made in “solidarity” with Palestine after Israel attacked the Gaza Strip.