429-day ordeal ends for 17 PH seafarers held by Yemen rebs
The 17 Filipino seafarers recently released by the Yemeni Islamist group Houthis were set to arrive in the Philippines on Thursday night after more than a year in captivity, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
Their ordeal, and that of the crewmen of other vessels attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea, was among the first to show the Israel-Hamas conflict spilling far beyond Gaza and into other parts of the region.
The seafarers were scheduled to arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 9:30 p.m., said Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega.
The DFA shouldered their pocket money when they arrived in Oman from Yemen, as well as the cost of their repatriation.
The government worked on their immediate repatriation to Manila “so that they could reunite with their long-suffering families as soon as possible,” the DFA said in a statement.
“Our successful efforts despite all the challenges prove that quiet diplomacy works. The men and women of the Department of Foreign Affairs will remain true to our calling to serve our country and people,” it added.
Marcos thanks Oman
The Filipinos and eight other foreign seafarers were held hostage after their cargo ship, MV Galaxy Leader, came under Houthi attack in the Red Sea on Nov. 19, 2023. The release marked the end of their 429-day ordeal.
President Marcos confirmed their release past midnight Thursday, saying they were already in the care of the Philippine Embassy in Muscat, Oman.
“Allow me to express my gratitude to His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman and his government for their successful mediation, which led to the eventual release and safe passage of our countrymen through Oman,” Mr. Marcos said in a statement.
He said the incident was one of his motivations for signing Republic Act No. 12021, or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, into law.
“This is to protect their rights and overall welfare, to promote their full employment and to ensure equal opportunities in the maritime industry—regardless of gender or creed—including equitable access to education, training and development, consistent with existing domestic and international laws, standards and conventions,” he said.
The Philippines deploys hundreds of thousands of seafarers overseas every year. According to the DMW, the number reached more than 500,000 in 2023, an all-time high.
More than 100 attacks
The release of the Galaxy Leader crew was “heartwarming news that puts an end to the arbitrary detention and separation that they and their families endured for more than a year,” UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a statement.
“This is a step in the right direction, and I urge Ansar Allah to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks,” he added.
The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships plying the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since October 2023, two of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, in solidarity with Palestine after Israel retaliated against Islamic group Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack which killed more than 1,000 Israelis.
The Houthis’ attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to reroute to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa for more than a year.
‘Collateral victims’
According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 46,000 Palestinians have already died due to the war.
Last Jan. 19, Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces reached a ceasefire, but the Houthis have warned they will resume the attacks if Israel reneges on the truce.
“Innocent seafarers must not become collateral victims in wider geopolitical tensions,” Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organization, said in a statement.
“We call on all nations to support our seafarers and shipping so that this does not happen again,” the International Chamber of Shipping said in a statement. —WITH REPORTS FROM MELVIN GASCON, PNA AND REUTERS
