MANILA: Fourteen Filipino seafarers have returned home from the United Arab Emirates following the attack on the oil tanker MV SIDR in the Strait of Hormuz, a Philippine official said.
The SIDR was struck by “still unknown” projectiles on the evening of Aug 31, resulting in the deaths of two other Filipino seafarers.
The unharmed 14 Filipinos flew via Emirates flight EK334 and arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at around 10pm on Tuesday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
The 14 have since received financial and medical assistance from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
“They are in good condition, relatively unharmed, safe and now they are ready to meet their families in a hotel accommodation that our agency prepared. Overall, they are in good spirits,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac told the media.
Meanwhile, the repatriation of the two deceased seafarers is underway, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Oman and the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai.
In an earlier statement, Cacdac said the DMW was investigating the compliance with Filipino deployment regulations of the SIDR ship owner and manning agency.
“The department is examining compliance with regulations governing safe transit, avoidance of high-risk and warlike areas, the right of Filipino seafarers to refuse to sail, the submission of risk assessments before deployment, and the provision of adequate onboard safety and security measures,” the DMW’s statement read. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
