DMW: Search ops for missing Filipino sailor to begin in MV Tutor's engine room

Search operation for the missing Filipino seafarer of MV Tutor will begin in the vessel’s engine room where he is believed to be working when the Houthi attack happened last week, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday. 

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the shipowner has given the assurance that the search operation for the remaining crew member of MV Tutor will be underway, with hopes that the crew member will be brought back to the Philippines. 

“Mahirap pang mag-conclude at this time, siyempre merong mga sinasabi na siya ay nasa engine room kasi ‘yun ang bahagi ng trabaho niya nung time na nagkaron ng attack so ‘yun ay isang lugar kung saan siya hahanapin,” Cacdac said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. 

(It’s difficult to conclude at this time. There are people saying that he was in the engine room because that was where we was working at the time of the attack, so they will search for him there.) 

“Napuno ng tubig at may halong langis ang tubig… ‘Yun ang unang-unang paghahanapan sa kanya and of course, talagang hahanapin siya doon sa barko,” he added. 

(The engine room was flooded with water mixed with oil... That's where the search will start, and of course the whole ship will also be searched.) 

The White House on Monday reported that the Filipino seaman was already killed due to the attack. However, officials both from the DMW and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stressed that they cannot confirm the death yet until they see the body of the Filipino sailor. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/pinoyabroad/dispatch/910395/dfa-filipino-sailor-death/story/?just_in 

“Sa punto de vista natin, kailangan natin siyang makita bago tayo magkaroon ng conclusion tungkol sa kanyang kinasapitan,” Cacdac said. 

(From our point of view, we need to see him before we conclude on what happened.) 

According to DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, the Philippine Embassy in Athens under Ambassador Giovanni Palec met with the MV Tutor’s shipping principal. 

The DFA official said MV Tutor's principal informed Palec that search operations for the Filipino missing seafarer shall be undertaken as soon as the ship is taken to a safe port.

The other 21 Filipino seafarers who were rescued from MV Tutor already arrived in Manila on Monday morning.

Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi group last Wednesday took responsibility for the small watercraft and missile attacks that left the ship taking on water and in need of rescue near Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah, according to a Reuters report.

The Philippines condemned the attack and called on members of the United Nations "to protect the human rights of seafarers." —KBK, GMA Integrated News