MANILA — Search and rescue operations are underway for the 13 Filipinos in the ill-fated MV Eternity C, which sank off the coast of Yemen after being attacked by Houthi militants earlier this week.
Migrant Workers Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said they continue to verify reports that three Filipino seafarers were killed during the attack, but they were able to rescue eight out of the 21 Filipinos aboard the vessel.
Yemen's Houthis publish video of Filipino-manned vessel sinking in the Red Sea
These individuals were already in a safe place, Olalia added, not disclosing their exact location for security reasons.
“Sila ay kasalukuyan nating inaasikaso, nasa kamay sila ng rescuers at sila ay nakapaunta na sa isang safe port para sa eventual facilitated repatriation mula sa Red Sea papunta ng Pilipinas,” Olaloa told reporters in a Saturday news forum.
“‘Yung karamihan at kasamahan nila ay kasalukuyan pa nating inaalam ang whereabouts. Ongoing pa ang ating search and rescue, kasama natin dito ang Department of Foreign Affairs at Department of National Defense para sa paghahanap sa kalagayan ng mga Filipino seafarers,” he added.
Olalia said they would only be able to confirm the reports of casualties if they would be able to talk directly to the rescued Filipino seafarers.
“Mayroon tayong unconfirmed reports. Aalamin natin ito sa mga kababayan natin na na-rescue na 8 sa oras na makausap natin sila, tatlo ang sinasabi sa news na may kababayan tayong namatay sa MV Eternity C,” he said.
“Maliban sa walo at dalawa na security personnel, unaccounted pa ang the rest,” he said.
Olalia said the initial information they received showed their vessel was supposed to go to Israel through the Red Sea.
“From Somalia, kung saan nagbaba sila ng kargamento, sila ay papunta ng Jeddah port para mag-gasolina… sila ay magkakarga ng bunker fuel at from there, sila daw ay pupunta papunta ng Mediterranean Sea—ang sabi ay sila ay tutungo ng Israel,” he said.
“Alam niyo sa Red Sea, na-identify kasi ng Yemeni at Houthis ang patungo na direksyon ng mga barko kaya nata-target ang barko. Kaya matagal na nating sinasabi sa shipowners na iwasan ang Red Sea,” he said.
The official reiterated that Filipino seafarers could verbalize their right to refuse sail to shipowners and they should not be discriminated against for doing so.
Under a DMW Department Order 1 issued in March 2024, shipowners and manning agencies are mandated to report planned passages through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and ensure Filipino crew members are fully informed of the risks involved. Filipino seafarers have the right to refuse to sail in these so-called warlike zones.
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Olalia said 11 Filipinos from another Houthi-attacked ship MV Magic Seas would arrive in the Philippines later tonight.
Eternity C is the second ship that the Iran-aligned group has attacked this week after months of calm.
The attacks revived a campaign by the Iran-aligned fighters, who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023 to December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians, before a lull in their campaign earlier this year.
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