Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello revealed that the Japan Coast Guard has decided to stop its special search and rescue operations for the missing seafarers, including Filipino crew members aboard the UAE-based Gulf Livestock ship on Thursday.
The decision comes after a week-long search since the ship sent a distress call on September 2 due to the onslaught of Typhoon Maysak. So far, rescue teams have only discovered 2 survivors and one dead body from the search.
“May masama kaming balita kanina, may 36 pa tayong hinahanap na Pinoy seafarers (sa lumubog na cargo ship sa Japan), kahapon after ng bagyo ay nagresume sila ng operation pero ngayong hapon ay nakatanggap ako ng ulat na hinihinto na nila ang rescue operations,” Bello told DZMM on Wednesday.
Bello however clarified that only the special search and rescue operations involving aerial and sea teams were halted. Normal search operations will still push through to locate the missing seafarers.
“Yung paghinto, hindi nangangahulugan na wala nang rescue ops, hindi nga lang kagaya nung special operation, pero tuloy pa rin yung standard rescue operation,” he said in an interview on DZMM.
Families of the missing seafarers are appealing to the government to intervene in the search operations.
“Umaasa pa rin po kami. Baka napadpad lang sila sa isla, nagugutom na, nauuhaw,” Justine Payas, the wife of seafarer Andren Payas said.
“Sana po sa Philippine government, huwag naman kayo sumuko. Paano na mga mahal namin sa buhay, 36 pa yun ang nawawala, ganon nalang ba yon,” she lamented.
