DFA: PH won’t abandon 17 sailors held by Houthi rebels

STILL CAPTIVE A Houthi fighter on board cargo ship Galaxy Leader seized by the rebels in November last year. —REUTERS

Seventeen Filipino seafarers taken hostage in November last year continue to be held by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, and will not be part of the group of 11 sailors from another vessel set to return to the country today, the spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.

In a television interview, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the release of the 17 hostages may not be forthcoming, as the captors’ demands were “political” in nature.

“We still have 17 hostages that remain with the Houthis that were seized from [the vessel] Galaxy Leader and will not be part of the 11 who will be returning to the country on Tuesday,” De Vega said.

“Nonetheless, we assure the families of the 17 that we continue to communicate with them—the [Department of Migrant Workers or DMW] holds frequent Zoom meetings with them,” he said over government television program “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.”

The 17 Filipino sailors belong to the 25 crew members of MV Galaxy Leader—which included Bulgaria, Mexico and Ukraine nationals—held captive by Houthi rebels who have been attacking ships plying the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

“The 17 captive seafarers are able to regularly call their families and are also fed well. They are also regularly visited by our honorary consul and we are coordinating with the Houthis [for their release]. Unfortunately, their demand is political—the end of hostilities in Gaza Strip in Israel,” De Vega said.

“But we are not abandoning their captive family members,” he added.

‘Fitting welcome’

De Vega issued the statement as he announced the return of 11 sailors who were among those who survived a missile attack by Houthi rebels on bulk carrier MV True Confidence, which killed two Filipinos and injured two others, last week.

According to DMW officer in charge Hans Cacdac, the government has prepared a “fitting welcome for our brave seafarers.”

READ: 2 Filipino sailors killed in Houthi missile attack

The crew members are scheduled to arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

One of the 11 returning seafarers suffered minor injuries during the emergency evacuation of the ship, but was cleared by medical authorities for travel. The rest were unharmed in the missile attack.

Cacdac said the two seriously injured crew members remained in a hospital in Djibouti City and would be repatriated to the Philippines as soon as they were cleared for travel.

The DFA issued travel documents to the returning crew members, while the flight arrangements were made by their shipping and manning agencies.

Salvage ops

The Philippine government, however, has yet to retrieve the remains of the two casualties, De Vega said.

“Authorities are still trying to tow the burning vessel toward the Port of Duqm in Oman where the remains of the casualties may be recovered through salvage operations,” he said.

Cacdac said: “We pray for the success of the salvaging operation so that the remains of our two fallen seafarers can be repatriated.”

De Vega said the attack on True Confidence has prompted the United Nations Security Council to meet and discuss the possibility of issuing a resolution of condemnation.

Downing drones

Last week, US, French and British forces downed dozens of drones in the Red Sea area after Houthis targeted bulk carrier Propel Fortune and US destroyers in the region, the US military said in a statement.

The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

The group’s military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Saturday that they had targeted the cargo vessel and “a number of US war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones.”

US Central Command (Centcom) said the US military and coalition forces had downed at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Red Sea in the early hours of Saturday.

“No US or Coalition Navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage,” Centcom said in a statement.

The UAVs were intended to present “an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US Navy, and coalition ships in the region,” it said in a post on social media platform X.

A French warship and fighter jets also shot down four combat drones that were advancing toward naval vessels belonging to the European Aspides mission in the region, a French army statement said.

“This defensive action directly contributed to the protection of the cargo ship True Confidence, under the Barbados flag, which was struck on March 6 and is being towed, as well as other commercial vessels transiting in the area,” it said.

‘To save lives’

France has a warship in the area as well as warplanes at its bases in Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence said its warship HMS Richmond had joined international allies in repelling a Houthi drone attack overnight, saying no injuries or damage were sustained.

“The [United Kingdom] and our allies will continue to take the action necessary to save lives and protect freedom of navigation, “ UK Defense Minister Grant Shapps said on X. —WITH A REPORT FROM REUTERS INQ