All 27 Filipino crew members aboard the bulk carrier MV Transworld Navigator, reportedly attacked by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea over the weekend, are safe, according to Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
During an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Cacdac explained that the attack did not immobilize the vessel. “Hindi siya tinamaan in a sense na na-immobilize siya,” Cacdac said. “Nakapaglayag pa siya at nailigtas ‘yung 27 crew on board.”
Cacdac indicated that the Filipino crew members would likely be repatriated once the ship reaches a safe port. “Nakaranas sila ng pag-atake, baka kailangan munang umuwi sila sa kani-kanilang pamilya,” he added.
The Yemeni Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack on the MV Transworld Navigator in the Arabian Sea, as well as an attack on the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea. The group did not specify when these attacks occurred but stated that the Transworld Navigator took a direct hit from a missile.
In response to these incidents, the DMW has advised licensed manning agencies and their accredited principals or employers to avoid routes through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and nearby areas. The DMW also emphasized that seafarers should be given the opportunity to decide whether to continue their voyage or refuse to join ships scheduled to pass through these regions.
The recent attack on the MV Tutor, a Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned ship, by Houthi rebels earlier this month resulted in one Filipino sailor still being missing. The MV Tutor suffered severe flooding and was abandoned after being struck by a sea drone off the coast of Hodeida, a rebel-held area.
