The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) revealed that they are considering legal actions against the owners of the vessels recently attacked by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
DMW chief Hans Cacdac said the move aims to protect Filipino seafarers who still travelled to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden even if it has been designated as “war-like zones” due to Houthi rebels’ violent assaults.
“We will take action with respect to the principals or ship owners who had been involved in at least the three major attacks: the Galaxy Leader, True Confidence, and Tutor,” said Cacdac.
The DMW chief added that they will no longer process the papers of seafarers who will board the three ships.
“We, therefore, will no longer process or allow the boarding of seafarers on these three principals or ship owners who had been the subject of an attack,” he added.
Cacdac added that they will request additional maritime security presence when passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The DMW previously issued a memorandum mandating all licensing agencies to issue an affidavit for ships traversing through the Red Sea.
“This commitment, along with the vessel’s detailed itinerary, must be submitted to the DMW during the documentation of crew employment contracts or before their deployment,” the DMW said.
