By Brian Jules Campued
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Monday that 11 Filipino crewmen of the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier M/V True Confidence struck by a Houthi missile will arrive in the Philippines on March 12.
DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said that the agency is “preparing a fitting welcome” for the seafarers whose travel documents have already been issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The returning crew members are composed of the 10 unharmed men while the 11th seafarer sustained minor injuries during the emergency evacuation of the ship, according to a statement by DMW.
Another two injured Filipino crewmen remain in a hospital in Djibouti City, the DMW added.
“Their condition is stable and being monitored by medical professionals. They will be repatriated to the Philippines as soon as they are medically certified as fit to travel,” it continued.
Meanwhile, retrieval operations of the remains of three crew members who died in the missile attack, including two Filipino seamen, are currently underway.
“We pray for the success of the salvaging operation so that the remains of our two fallen seafarers can be repatriated,” Cacdac said in the same statement.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. extended his sympathies to the families of the deceased Filipino seafarers and assured them that the government is exerting all efforts to bring their remains home.
“I joined the nation in offering our deepest sympathies to the families of the two Filipino seafarers who perished in the Houthi attack on True Confidence,” Marcos said in a statement on Sunday.
The President also directed the DFA, DMW, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Health to provide the necessary assistance to the victims and their families.
The M/V True Confidence, which was carrying steel products and trucks, was on its way from China to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Aqaba, Jordan on March 6 when it was attacked by Houthi rebels, some 50 nautical miles southwest of the Gulf of Aden.
Malacañang said that the Chief Executive has joined global calls “for the end to this conflict and for full respect for the principle of freedom of navigation” and reiterated the Philippine government’s vow to ensure the safety and welfare of the Filipino workers in the affected region. – avds
