The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has assured the public that the 17 Filipino seafarers being held hostage in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi militants are in good condition and are expected to be released soon.
The DFA said in a statement that “government sources” have confirmed that the hostages are safe and will eventually be freed. The DFA is working closely with relevant authorities to secure their release as soon as possible.
In a separate development, President Marcos has cancelled his scheduled attendance at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai to focus on the safe release of the Filipino hostages.
Marcos said that he made the decision “in light of important developments in the hostage situation involving 17 Filipino seafarers in the Red Sea.”
He will instead meet with his officials to discuss the dispatch of a high-level delegation to Tehran, Iran, to seek assistance for the Filipino seafarers.
The 17 Filipinos were among the crew of the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader, which was seized by Houthi militants in the southern Red Sea on November 19. The other crewmembers are from Ukraine and Mexico.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree has said that the seizure of the ship was in response to “heinous acts against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Source: PhilNews24 | December 1, 2023
