THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday confirmed the death of two Filipino seafarers in the most recent attack by Houthi rebels on ships plying the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

“We in the Department of Migrant Workers sincerely extend our deepest condolences to the family and kin of our slain, heroic seafarers. For reasons of privacy, we are withholding their names and identities.

‘We are also informed that two other Filipino crewmen were severely injured in the attack on their ship. We pray for their immediate recovery,” the DMW said in a statement.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the DMW to extend the fullest support and assistance to the families of the seafarers.

The DMW is in touch with the ship’s manning agency and shipowner to ascertain the conditions of the rest of the ship’s crew, particularly the remaining Filipino crew members, as they have reportedly been taken to a safe port.

The DMW reiterates its call to shipowners with ships navigating the volatile Red Sea – Gulf of Aden sea lanes to comply strictly with the expanded “high risk areas” designation and to implement appropriate risk mitigation measures, such as rerouting vessels and deploying armed security personnel onboard such vessels.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Jun I. Legaspi