Marcos calls for end to Houthi attacks on ships

President Marcos called for an end to attacks on ships and respect for freedom of navigation yesterday after two Filipinos died in a recent attack by Houthi rebels on a shipping vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

Marcos extended his sympathies to the families of the two Filipinos and vowed to help in the repatriation of their remains.

“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 President said in a post on his official X account.

“The Philippines joins 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,” Marcos said.

The remains of the two Filipino seafarers slain during the attack are being retrieved from the ship, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said in a radio interview yesterday.

Meanwhile, 11 of the seafarers are set to return to the Philippines tomorrow, Cacdac said citing information from the seafarers’ manning agency.

The two Filipinos wounded in the attack were reported to be in stable condition at a Djibouti hospital and awaiting clearance to travel, Cacdac said.

The DMW said it is withholding the victims’ names and identities for privacy.

Marcos also instructed the DMW as well as the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Health, and Social Welfare and Development and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to continue providing assistance to the seafarers and their families.

The DMW has reiterated its call to ship owners with ships navigating the volatile Red Sea– Gulf of Aden sea lanes to strictly comply with the expanded “high risk areas” designation, and to implement appropriate risk mitigation measures such as rerouting vessels and deploying armed security personnel onboard the vessels.