11 Pinoys from Houthi-attacked ship to arrive in PH

MANILA – Eleven Filipino crew members of bulk carrier M/V True Confidence, which was attacked by Houthi rebels on March 6 while in the Gulf of Aden, are scheduled to arrive in the Philippines on Tuesday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.

In a news release on Monday, DMW Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the department is now preparing to welcome the seafarers who survived the attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who targeted the ship with an anti-ship missile.

Two Filipinos and a Vietnamese crew member died during the attack, while three Filipinos were injured.

Ten of the returning Filipino seafarers were unharmed during the attack, while the one sustained a minor injury but was cleared by medical authorities to travel.

The other two injured are now in stable condition but are still being monitored by doctors at a hospital in Djibouti City in the Horn of Africa.

Meanwhile, the remains of the crew members who died during the attack are still being retrieved.

"We pray for the success of the salvaging operation so that the remains of our two fallen seafarers can be repatriated," Cacdac said, noting that "we continue to express our condolences and prayers to their families."

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier directed the DMW, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Department of Health, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to provide assistance to the affected seafarers and their families.

He also called for an end to the conflict and full respect for the principle of freedom of navigation, as he expressed commitment to the safety and welfare of Filipino seafarers and overseas Filipino workers in the affected region. (PNA)