Search for missing Filipino crew on MV Tutor to begin after docking—DMW

DMW building. File photo / ABC

MANILA, Philippines — Search operations for a missing Filipino sailor aboard the ill-fated MV Tutor will be undertaken as soon as the vessel reaches a safe dock, said the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday.

This comes after the White House stated that a Filipino sailor was “killed” when Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked the cargo carrier on June 12 while sailing along the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

DMW did not confirm nor deny the White House’s remarks, saying it would, in the meantime, rely on the information shared by the Philippine embassy in Athens.

READ: Filipino sailor killed in Huthi attack on cargo ship – White House

According to DMW, Ambassador Giovanni Palec of the Philippine embassy in Athens met with MV Tutor’s shipping principal.

“Ambassador Palec [was informed]  that search operations for our missing seafarer shall be undertaken as soon as the ship is taken to a safe port,” said DMW.

“Meanwhile, we remain hopeful and are in touch with the family of the seafarer,” it added.

INQUIRER.net also sought the Department of Foreign Affairs’ confirmation of the White House announcement, but it has yet to respond as of this writing.

Twenty-two Filipino seafarers were onboard MV Tutor when the attack transpired, with 21 of them already repatriated by the Philippine government as of Monday.

READ: PH seafarers barred from vessels passing through Red Sea, Gulf of Aden

Before the attack, the Philippine government had already barred Filipino seafarers from boarding vessels passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

DMW required manning agencies to submit a written guarantee that passenger or cruise vessels with Filipino crew members will not traverse the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which have been designated as “war-like zones.”

In addition to the “affirmation letter,” the DMW also required manning agencies to submit their vessels’ detailed itineraries during the processing of crew employment contracts or before deployment.