11 Filipino seafarers in ship attacked by Houthi back in PH

Eleven Filipino crew members of the MV True Confidence, the cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on March 6, have returned to the country on Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement from the Department of Migrant Workers, the group composed seafarers, one of them with minor injuries, arrived at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

They were met by several officials that included House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs Chairman Rep. Ron Salo and DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac together with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega and Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.

The seafarers will be receiving medical and physical check-ups from the Department of Health (DOH), as well as financial support worth P50,000 each from the DMW, comprehensive reintegration support, livelihood aid worth P20,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and scholarship and training vouchers from TESDA.

The 11 repatriates were among the 15 Pinoy crewmembers on board the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier when it was hit by an Iranian-made missile in March 6, 50 nautical miles off the Yemeni port of Aden.

Two Filipinos were killed while three others were wounded. The remains of the fatalities are still onboard the ship that is not being towed to a port in Oman.

The Houthi quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, which was one among many attacks along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in line with their campaign to support Palestine in the war against Israel.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is working towards repatriating the bodies of the two deceased Filipinos upon the vessel’s arrival in Oman.—RF, GMA Integrated News