President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday announced that nine Filipino seafarers held captive by Houthi rebels in Yemen after their vessel sank in the Red Sea in July have been rescued and are now en route to the Philippines.
Mr. Marcos said the seafarers arrived in Oman earlier this week after their release and were received by personnel from the Philippine Embassy in Muscat and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
“Let us thank the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), the DMW, and the Philippine Embassy in Oman for everything they have done,” President Marcos said.
He commended the DFA, the DMW and embassy officials for coordinating the rescue and repatriation efforts.
The president also expressed gratitude to the government of Oman, particularly Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, for its role in securing the seafarers’ release.
“They are truly a friend of the Filipino people,” Mr. Marcos said, adding that Omani authorities worked “without letup” to assist Manila.
The rescued crew members underwent a short debriefing and documentation process in Muscat before being cleared to fly home.
“We didn’t make it any longer. They probably want to go home, even before Christmas from Filipino,” President Marcos said.
He also extended condolences to the family of Neil Roy Faner, a Filipino mariner who died when the MV Eternity C came under attack. “
“The lives of our sailors are becoming dangerous…they are entering a war zone,” he said, noting the risks faced by Filipino workers deployed in conflict areas.
The president welcomed the rescued seafarers ahead of their return, saying their homecoming is especially meaningful during the Christmas season.
“Welcome home to all of you. That’s right, Merry Christmas,” he said.
The DFA earlier announced that nine Filipino seafarers from the ill-fated M/V Eternity C, who were taken hostage by Houthi forces in the Red Sea, have been released and transferred from Sana’a, Yemen to Muscat, Oman through the assistance of the Sultanate of Oman.
In an X post on Thursday, December 4, DFA Secretary Theresa Lazaro expressed gratitude to Oman Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi.
“I thank Foreign Minister @BadrAlbusaidi for Oman’s invaluable assistance in the safe return of the Filipino crew members of M/V Eternity C, who were held by the Houthis in Yemen since July,” she said.
For its part, the Foreign Ministry of Oman also reported that the safe return of the 11 individuals, which included both Filipino and Indian nationals, was facilitated by transporting them from Sana’a to Muscat aboard a Royal Omani Air Force plane.
“The Sultanate of Oman appreciates the cooperation extended by the relevant parties in completing these efforts,” a post on X said.
DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona mentioned that the Department of Migrant Workers will oversee the repatriation of the seafarers.
To recall, reports indicated that the M/V Eternity C sank in the Red Sea following repeated attacks from Yemen-based Houthi militants using sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades.
The vessel was registered under the Liberian flag and had a crew of 22 members, 21 of whom were Filipinos.
