Marcos condoles with seafarers’ kin

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday extended his deepest sympathies to the families of the two Filipino seafarers who died in the missile strike by Houthi rebels on a cargo vessel off Yemen last week.

Three other Filipinos were severely injured in the attack, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed.

“I join the nation in offering our deepest sympathies to the families of the two Filipino seafarers who perished in the Houthi attack on True Confidence. The government is in constant contact with their families, and we will spare no effort in bringing their remains home,” Marcos said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

He said the other “13 surviving Filipino seafarers” are now in Djibouti and are being assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo for their safe return to the Philippines as soon as possible.

The Chief Executive directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Health (DoH) to provide the necessary assistance to the affected seafarers and their families.

The Barbados-flagged bulk carrier MV True Confidence was on its way from China to Jeddah and Aqaba, carrying a cargo of steel products and trucks when it was attacked by Houthi rebels about 50 nautical miles southwest of Aden.

At least 15 Filipino crew were on board the merchant vessel when the incident happened.

The President joined global calls “for the end to this conflict and for full respect for the principle of freedom of navigation.”

“We remain firmly committed to the safety and welfare of our seafarers and overseas Filipino workers in the region,” he said.