DMW building. File photo / ABC
MANILA, Philippines — Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) chief Hans Leo Cacdac said they will take action against ship owners of three vessels where Filipino sailors’ safety was compromised during Houthi attacks.
Cacdac said their move was for the protection of Filipino seafarers as the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have been designated as “war-like zones” due to Houthi rebels’ violent assaults.
“We will take action with respect to the principals or ship owners who had been involved in at least the three major attacks: the Galaxy Leader, True Confidence, and Tutor,” he said in a press conference.
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“We, therefore, will no longer process or allow the boarding of seafarers on these three principals or ship owners who had been the subject of an attack,” he added.
Cacdad likewise said that the DMW will ask ship owners to increase the presence of maritime security escorts for vessels and enhance the number and quality of armed security guards on board ships, especially when passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
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Prior to this, the Philippine government barred Filipino seafarers from boarding commercial ships crossing these designated war-like zones.
Under DMW Order No. 2 released on April 24, deployment of Filipino seafarers onboard passenger and cruise ships set to sail through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is prohibited. It stated that licensed manning agencies are now required to sign an affirmation letter guaranteeing that their vessels will not navigate the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden.
“This commitment, along with the vessel’s detailed itinerary, must be submitted to the DMW during the documentation of crew employment contracts or before their deployment,” the DMW said.
DMW Order No. 2 stemmed from “recent amendments” to the International Transport Workers’ Federation and International Bargaining Forum list of “High-Risk Areas” and “War-like Zones” to include the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.