THE Department of Foreign Affairs said 17 Filipino seafarers taken hostage by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are being treated well by their captors, a month-and-a-half after their vessel was seized while plying the Red Sea.
DFA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Teresita Daza made the assurance as she said a Yemeni official met with the Filipinos on January 2 to know their condition.
The 17 are among crew members of the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, an Israeli-linked cargo vessel hijacked by the Houthi rebels at a crucial Red Sea shipping route.
Other members of the crew are from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania and Mexico.
“What has been told is that actually, the 17 Filipino seamen aboard are treated well and in good health,” Daza said monday, adding the department is closely monitoring the condition of the Filipinos and working for their release but declined to provide details on the ongoing talks as well as the demand of the Houthis.
“What we have been told is they want to actually complete negotiations on this issue as soon as possible, but in terms of the specific timeline, no timeline as yet has been given,” she added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cancelled his trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates last November because of what he said were important developments in the hostage situation involving the 17 Filipino seafarers.
