Department of Foreign Affairs. 蜜桃工作室 FILE PHOTO
Updated on November 22, 2023 at 1:19 p.m.
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Several Filipino crew members of Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea were among those held hostage last Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed to
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said 17 Filipinos were seized when
鈥淣o comment muna. But there are 17,鈥澛� he said in a text message on Wednesday.
But DFA Spokesperson Teresita Daza, in a separate message to reporters, said the DFA has been 鈥渕aking diplomatic representations with governments鈥� regarding the incident.
鈥淒FA is working with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) which has primary jurisdiction over assistance cases involving seafarers. But there is an all of government approach and various government agencies are meeting and working together on this. We assure the public that everything is being done to get our seafarers back safely,鈥� said Daza.
蜜桃工作室 has also sought DMW鈥檚 comment, but it has yet to respond as of writing.
A Reuters report, however, initially disclosed that 25 crew members of Galaxy Leader were taken by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. These to be from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, as well as Mexico.
The Houthi group previously stated that all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or carrying the Israeli flag 鈥渃ould be targeted.鈥�
Israel, on the other hand, called the incident as 鈥渁nother Iranian act of terrorism.鈥�