MANILA: A Filipino crew member of MV Tutor, which was attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels while traversing the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, is missing, the Department of Migrant Workers said Friday.
In a virtual press briefing, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the Greek-owned bulk carrier have 22 crew members, mostly Filipinos, when its delicate parts and the engine room were damaged during the attack.
‘Right now, we are still in the process of trying to ascertain. We’re trying to account for the particular seafarer in the ship and are praying that we could find him,’ he said.
‘Rest assured that all of the next of kin of the seafarers have been contacted,’ he said.
Cacdac said the other seafarers on board are safe and he had checked with them through a video call.
‘Everybody from the MV Tutor is safe and sound. I saw them personally on the video. Everybody is fine, at least from the video, and they are safe onboard the ship. And having said that, rescue must be undertak
en,’ he said.
Cacdac said they have coordinated with the Department of Foreign Affairs, manning agency and ship owner.
‘The rescue is forthcoming within the day. I cannot disclose any details with respect to the rescue for security reasons,’ he said.
The Gulf of Aden, including the Red Sea, is included in the expanded high-risk area, to provide better protection to seafarers, including Filipinos, following several attacks by the Houthi rebels.
Earlier this year, the DMW issued an advisory categorizing the ‘warlike and high-risk areas’ where Filipino seafarers have to be given the right to refuse sailing with repatriation and compensation.
In the latest attack, Cacdac said they ‘have been informed that the seafarers did not exercise their right to refuse sailing and had consented to join the voyage.’
Source: Philippines News Agency
