17 PH hostages in Yemen poised for release—DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs has already dispatched a team to Yemen to assist in the ongoing negotiations for the release of 17 Filipino seafarers held hostage by Houthi militants.

“Our contacts have assured us that for sure that they will be released, but it’s just a matter of how long,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo de Vega said.

“We can promise that they’re okay because they’ve been able to contact their families,” he added.

The Filipino seafarers were on board the Bahamas-flagged carrier Galaxy Leader when it was captured by Houthi militants in the Red Sea on Nov. 19.

The Houthi, an Islamist group based in Yemen, took the Israeli-owned ship in support of Hamas in its war against Israel in Gaza.

“The Houthis are adamant [right] now that [it is] not about money. They just want the Israeli operations against Gaza to end,” De Vega said.

President Marcos ordered the formation of the delegation to negotiate with the captors of the Filipino seafarers earlier this month as he canceled his trip to attend to the situation of the hostages.

“Some things need immediate attention. One of those is our fellow Filipinos who are being held hostage,” the President said.

The International Bargaining Forum had declared the southern area of the Red Sea and the Bab El-Mandeb Strait as “high risk” areas following the Houthi’s missile attacks on another container ship bound for Saudi Arabia and an attempted drone attack on Israel.

The Department of Migrant Workers earlier reminded Filipino seafarers that they may reject jobs that would require passage through the high-risk areas.

“The idea is that we don’t want our seafarers to be forced to take that route and instead they should be given other routes like that. I think what our seafarers will say is that they will agree because with higher pay but life is more important,” De Vega said. — Rey E. Requejo