By Marita Moaje | Philippine News Agency
The remains of the Filipino crew member of Dutch-flagged cargo vessel MV Minervagracht, who died due to injuries sustained during a Houthi attack late September, finally arrived in the country on Sunday.
His family received the remains of the fallen seafarer along with representatives from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the licensed manning agency that deployed him.
The DMW said in a news release issued Sunday evening, “Ayon sa paunang impormasyon, ang mga labi ay dadalhin sa Iligan sa bayan ng kanyang asawa, bago dalhin sa Zamboanga del Sur, kung saan naghihintay ang kaniyang mga magulang at iba pang kaanak.”
It added: “Lubos ang pakikiramay ng Department of Migrant Workers sa pamilya ng yumaong marinong Pilipino, at tiniyak ang patuloy na pagbibigay ng tulong at suporta alinsunod sa tagubilin ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.”
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the DMW is conducting a thorough investigation into the possible liability of the agency and its foreign principal.
He said that in case violations are confirmed, penalties such as suspension or revocation of accreditation may be imposed to safeguard the welfare and rights of Filipino seafarers, especially those working in high-risk maritime areas like the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
Yemen’s Houthi militants attacked MV Minervagracht on Sept. 29 while navigating the Gulf of Aden. The ship had 19 crew members onboard, of whom 12 were Filipinos, when it was struck by an unidentified explosive device.
Two of the Filipino crew members suffered injuries, including the fallen seafarer, while the other seafarer has been repatriated on Oct. 10 and is continuing his recovery in a hospital in Metro Manila. The remaining 10 Filipino seafarers were repatriated back to the country on Oct. 4 and received P75,000 in financial aid from the DMW AKSYON Fund.
On Friday, Cacdac met with the 10 surviving crew members at the DMW office in Mandaluyong City, where he assured continued assistance and vowed to hold their manning agency accountable for possible violations of existing deployment and cross-sailing regulations.
The repatriated crew members shared their harrowing experiences during the incident and expressed concern that their manning agency may have violated Department Order 03, Series of 2024, which prohibits the deployment of Filipino seafarers to vessels transiting war-like or high-risk maritime zones.
Cacdac said, “Tinitiyak po namin na mananagot ang sinumang lumabag sa ating mga patakaran. Walang disiplina kung walang sakripisyo at laging mga Pilipinong marino ang nagbubuwis ng buhay upang mapanatiling ligtas at buhay ang kalakalan sa dagat.” (PNA)
