Five Filipino seafarers aboard the Greek-operated MV Eternity C were rescued following a deadly attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday.
"Mayroong limang (Pilipino) tripulante ang nasagip. ‘Yung iba, the 17 are still being searched, and among the 17 would be the reported casualties that we still have to confirm. There's an ongoing search operation, and we are still hoping that they are alive," said DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac in a briefing.
The five rescued Filipinos are safe and have not suffered major injuries. The vessel, Eternity C, is a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier operated by a Greek company and was carrying 22 crew members—21 of whom are Filipinos—when it was attacked off the coast of Yemen on Monday.
Rescue operations for the remaining 17 missing crew members are being carried out by two maritime security firms hired by the shipowner.
Cacdac said that the DMW has not yet confirmed reports of fatalities and is waiting to get firsthand accounts from the survivors.
"Marami ng ulat sa media about ‘dun sa mga nasawi. We are still getting details on what exactly happened and we still have to confirm. And the best source at this stage will be the seafarers themselves," he added.
The DMW is also in close contact with the families of the affected seafarers.
"President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. gave us clear directive to take care of the families. We are handholding them through this difficult process. Sinabi namin sa kanila na hindi kami bibitaw until makapagbigay ng ganap na tulong. AKSYON Fund will be there and other forms of support both from the DMW and OWWA," said Cacdac.
The department continues to coordinate with the shipowner and the Licensed Manning Agency (LMA) to monitor developments and ensure that families of the crew are kept informed.
The attack on MV Eternity C is the latest in a series of assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea amid the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
