MANILA, Philippines On Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave an assurance that the administration is making every effort to guarantee the safety of the seventeen Filipino sailors who are being held captive by Houthi militants in Yemen.
The President stated on Facebook that relevant government departments are closely coordinating with their international colleagues on the matter.
“Our top priority is the safety of our 17 Filipino seamen. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) maintains regular contact with the families of the hostages, and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) coordinates updates with colleagues in Iran, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia “added the statement.
“Our sailors are not the only ones. “Every effort is being made by the government to ensure their safe return,” he continued.
In response for Israel’s onslaught in Gaza, Yemeni militants earlier this week captured the cargo ship Galaxy Leader and held its 25 crew members, including 17 Filipinos, prisoner, according to the DFA.
A Japanese company runs the British-owned, Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, which has ties to Israeli entrepreneur Abraham “Rami” Ungar.
The families of the seafarers have been promised support and help from the government by the DMW.
In the wake of the Red Sea incident, the United States declared it was thinking of labeling the Houthi rebels as a terrorist group and demanded the immediate release of the ship and its crew.
