TWENTY-ONE Filipino seamen who were rescued after a Houthi attack in the Red Sea arrived in Manila on Monday morning, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
The crew members were repatriated through a Gulf Air GF 154 flight from Bahrain and arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 at about 11:30 a.m., it said in a statement.
The crew was missing one member, its second engineer. The Philippine government is coordinating with international forces to find the missing seaman, DMW said.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Association provided food and transportation assistance, and hotel accommodation to the crew. They will also get cash assistance from the government.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa, Labor Attaché Hector B. Cruz, Jr. and Party-list Rep. Philip Jude A. Acidre, who heads the House of Representatives committee on overseas workers affairs, welcomed the seafarers.
The Yemeni rebel group Houthi attacked the MV Tutor, a Greek-owned and Liberia-flagged freighter, with missiles and drones on June 12.
They have been targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden supposedly to show support to Palestinians in Gaza amid a conflict with Israel.
On June 14, international forces launched a mission to rescue the overseas Filipino workers from the damaged ship. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
