THE country said Filipino sailors were among the crew on board a commercial ship attacked by Houthi fighters in the Red Sea.
“The Philippine government will take all necessary measures to secure the safety and well-being of the Filipino crew on board and ensure justice.
“We call on all UN member states to protect the human rights of seafarers,” said the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in a statement yesterday.
The DFA did not say how many Filipinos were on board, but sources said over 20 Filipino crew members were working on the ship.
Houthi fighters believed to be operating out of Yemen launched a boat-borne bomb attack on Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier MV Tutor in the Red Sea on Wednesday.
Filipino sailors have previously been killed or abducted in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
The Houthis rebels are still reportedly holding a number of the kidnapped victims.
In April, the government of the Philippines banned the deployment of Filipino seafarers on passenger and cruise ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden due to the risk of sailing in those regions.
The Philippines is among the biggest suppliers of maritime labour in the world, providing almost one-fifth of the 1.2 million seafarers worldwide, according to figures compiled by the International Labor Organization. — Xinhua
