Sitting ducks
While the world is grappling with soaring oil prices as an offshoot of the United States and Israel’s conflict with Iran, the lives of thousands of Filipino seafarers in the war-torn Middle East hang in the balance.
Since the US-Israel offensives on Feb. 28, Iran has retaliated with ballistic missile and drone attacks not only on Israel but also on US bases and installations across the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Most significantly, Iran barred ships from sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage connecting the oil-rich Gulf nations where 20 percent of the world’s total oil and natural gas supply passes through. Since the conflict, at least 16 oil tankers attempting to cross Hormuz have been struck with missiles.
One of these was the UAE-flagged Mussafah 2 tugboat, which was reportedly struck by a pair of missiles on March 6. One Filipino crew member–George Francis Miranda–was reported missing.
Precarious situation
In his last video message to his family the day before the strike, the 46-year-old sailor from Camarines Norte told his wife that their tugboat was in a “dangerous area.” They were initially told they were going to a port city in the UAE but instead, they were sent to assist the crew of container ship Safeen Prestige, which had been struck by a missile and stranded in the Strait of Hormuz two days earlier.
A human resources officer from Miranda’s logistics company informed his wife that an “incident” happened to the tugboat. No additional information was provided, and Miranda’s wife is still waiting to hear about her husband’s whereabouts.
Such is the precarious situation faced by Filipino seafarers, who face hostile seas and are often caught in the crossfire of wars. With Filipinos comprising 25 percent of the 1.6 million global maritime workforce deployed in tankers, bulk carriers, and cruise ships around the world, it is inevitable that whenever there is a conflict or a mishap in maritime areas, there’s bound to be a Filipino casualty.
But the situation faced by Filipino seafarers in the Gulf waters is particularly alarming, as there is no sign that the conflict is deescalating anytime soon. The Strait of Hormuz has become a flashpoint, as hampered oil shipping is causing devastating economic impact far beyond the three warring countries.
Right to refuse to sail
In the dangerous impasse, Filipino seafarers–as well as those from other nations–are practically sitting ducks in the widening theater of war.
A report by Agence France-Presse (AFP) said some 6,000 Filipino seafarers are still working in the Gulf waters, many waiting for the green light for their ships to go through the perilous passage.
The report cited Judy Domingo, president of the United Filipino Seafarers union representing 50,000 members, who said she has received hundreds of calls from sailors stranded in the strait who are concerned about their safety and dwindling food supply.
“There are also members expressing their desire to leave the ship. But of course, we cannot get them out of there immediately. We have to consider their location and a safe port for them to disembark,” Domingo said.
Unlike land-based overseas Filipino workers who are within reach of quick repatriation efforts, seafarers are practically held hostage by circumstances in their vessels.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), in an advisory on March 7, said Filipino seafarers have the right to refuse to sail in the war zone following the International Bargaining Forum’s designation of the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz as “warlike operations areas” where seafarers are entitled to higher compensation and other benefits.
Easier said than done
“Filipino crew members, particularly ship owners who carry Filipino crew members, are not expected to be in that area–or else give Filipino crew members the right to refuse sailing and to avoid this area as much as possible because it is very dangerous right now,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a video message.
But as in the case of Miranda and fellow crew members who were not informed that they were going to Hormuz, this is easier said than done. Aboard the vessels, the seafarers have little freedom to choose between their lives and their livelihood.
This requires the DMW and other government agencies to bear down on ship owners, maritime employers, and international organizations to ensure the safety of Filipino seafarers and enable them to exercise their rights consistent with international treaties and the recently-signed Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.
In the AFP report, a Filipino seafarer said that when their ship captain asked how many of the crew wanted to continue on to Hormuz, all 27 of them refused to sail.
“We chose to go home alive,” the seafarer named Choi said.
It is the duty of the government to exert every effort to make that wish come true.
