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Jerry Gabanzo and Miguel Estrella, Jr., crew members of the MVBlueNile, arrived in Iran on April 1 after they were offloaded from their vessel.

The Philippine embassy in Tehran learned about their plight only on April 16 when the wife of one of the seamen sent an urgent email narrating their situation in Chabahar, a town in southern Iran located more than 1,800 kilometers from Tehran.

The Philippine embassy contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran and its regional office in Chabahar as well as immigration offices in both cities to obtain custody over the Filipino seamen.

A team from the embassy flew to Chabahar on April 23 and brought to Tehran the Filipino seamen the following day.

The Philippine embassy already informed the seamen’s manning agencies in Manila about their situation in Iran and brought to the latter’s attention their complaint of unpaid salaries and other benefits from the ship owner based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

“Because of the Philippine Embassy’s constant and personal follow ups at the Immigration Office in Tehran and the Iranian government’s continued support and assistance on the case, the processing of the two seamen’s exit clearances and other documentary requirements took only one day to complete,” the DFA said.

Gabanzo and Estrella stayed overnight at the Embassy until they departed Iran for the Philippines on April 26. Consul General Alfredo Borlongan accompanied them on their return flight to Manila.