8 of 21 Pinoys in Houthi attack rescued–DMW
Eight of the 21 Filipino crew members on MV Eternity C have been rescued as of Thursday, after the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier was attacked by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea between Monday midnight and early Tuesday morning (Manila time).
With rescue operations still ongoing, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) remains hopeful the 13 other Filipinos are alive and safe. There were earlier reports that at least three of the ship’s 22-member crew were killed while several others were abducted and currently in the custody of the Iran-aligned Islamist group. Twenty-one of the vessel’s 22 crew members are Filipinos, including the captain, while one is Russian.
In a Palace press briefing on Thursday, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said five of the eight Filipinos were initially found by rescue teams floating in the sea. Three more were found later and although they had spent more than 24 hours in the water, Cacdac described them as being in “good condition.”
“None of them have any serious physical injury or illness. But of course, it is safe to say that they may have some physical stress [because of] what they went through,” he added.
According to Cacdac, the rescued Filipinos were to be taken to a safe destination, which he did not disclose for security reasons.
Government aid ready
“The Philippine government will do all we can to provide necessary assistance to them, starting with medical, physical and mental health assistance,” he said.
In the meantime, the DMW has started visiting the families of the Filipino crew members.
“We have assured them of the President’s directive to take care of them, and we will do everything so we can provide assistance to them,” Cacdac said.
The Philippine government earlier received information from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, relayed through the Philippine defense attache in Bahrain, that at least three Filipinos were killed but said the report “is still subject to confirmation.”
The Liberia-flagged and Greece-operated MV Eternity C was attacked while it was 50 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen by Houthis using sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats.
The United States Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from MV Eternity C and called for their immediate and unconditional safe release.
The DMW has suspended the license of the manning agency and principal of MV Eternity C, with Cacdac saying they would also pursue civil and criminal remedies pending an investigation.
“We are not happy, of course, with the way things [were] done in terms of allowing the crew to sail to a high-risk zone,” he said.
Based on the DMW’s initial findings, the manning agency and the principal committed several violations, including failure to comply with the strict reportorial processes and other critical requirements prior to sailing.
“Worse, the ship traversed the Red Sea not once but twice,” Cacdac noted.
Under DMW Department Order No. 1 issued in March 2024, shipowners and manning agencies are mandated to report planned passages through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and ensure Filipino crew members are fully informed of the risks involved. Filipino seafarers have the right to refuse to sail in these so-called warlike zones.
MV Eternity C originated from Egypt and had unloaded its cargo in Berbera, Somalia. It was supposed to depart for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but was attacked upon reaching the Red Sea west of Hodeidah, Yemen.
On Sunday, the bulk carrier MV Magic Seas was also attacked by Houthi rebels on the Red Sea although all 17 Filipino crew members were saved before the vessel sank. They are scheduled to arrive in Manila on July 11.
Stricter deployment rules
The DMW is eyeing tighter regulations for the deployment of Filipino seafarers following the attacks.
Cacdac did not directly answer if they would recommend to the President a temporary halt in deployment.
“We are seeking the help of political and security experts, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense to analyze or tell us how the situation has changed or worsened,” he said.
The Houthis have been targeting vessels passing through the Red Sea to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.
In November 2023, 17 Filipino crew members of cargo ship MV Galaxy were taken hostage by the rebels. They were released after over a year.
