Department of Foreign Affairs. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said it would assist in the preparations for the repatriation of the remains of five Filipinos who died after a Chinese fishing vessel capsized in the Indian Ocean.
The Filipinos are among the 39 crew members of a fishing vessel that overturned within Australia’s vast search-and-rescue region on May 16, according to an Agence France-Presse report. None of them survived.
“DFA OMWA [Office of Migrant Workers Affairs] is monitoring developments on the case and is coordinating with the DMW on the repatriation/shipment of the remains of the five Filipino crew members as well as benefits due their families,” the DFA said in a statement.
The Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, expressed his condolences, adding that the PCG had coordinated with DFA “to know how we can assist the affected families during this difficult time.”
“We thank the Australian and Chinese SAR teams for their efforts, as we understood the risks they faced while scouring the vast waters amid unpredictable weather conditions,” Balilo said.