Senator Franciso Tolentino recently filed a resolution calling on the Department of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the Islamic Republic of Iran to inquire on the condition of the 12 Filipino seamen arrested by Iranian authorities last Sept. 8.
The 12 Filipino seamen were on board a tugboat carrying petroleum worth S2.2 million at the time they were arrested in the Strait of Hormuz waterway.
Their vessel was seized by the Iranian authorities on suspicions that the Filipino seamen, also the crew operating the vessel, were involved in oil smuggling.
The Strait of Hormuz lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and is considered one of the world's most strategically important choke points.
In another incident, Iranian authorities seized an oil tanker, MT Stena Impero, which had a Filipino crew member on board, for allegedly breaking international maritime rules last July 19.
Tolentino reiterated that the government must ensure the safety of Filipino seamen as they are the key contributors to the Philippine economy, community and their families.
“It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of Filipino crew, our countrymen who have been sacrificing to be far from their families,” he said.
“Isa sila sa mga bagong bayani ng ating bayan, at dapat lamang din na suklian natin ang kanilang mga sakripisyo,” he added.