THERE is trouble in many of the world’s seas and the Philippines is involved in at least two – the South China Sea in our western border, and the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden some 7,861 kilometers away.
On Nov. 19, 2023, a group of Houthi rebels hijacked the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader over its connection to Israel and vowed that “all ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets.” The hijacking took place in the Red Sea and the adjoining Gulf of Aden – a crucial shipping route connecting Europe with the Middle East and Asia. It was clearly a Houthi action from Yemen, inflicting damage on Israeli business and the overall international supply chain, and is associated with the Israel-Gaza war. The collateral damage on our part is that 17 seafarers, out of 25 hostages, are Filipinos.
One indication that this particular hostage situation is serious is that for the last four months, the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and their allies have pressed for the release of the 25 seafarers but nothing has come out of it.
‘Filipino seafarers comprise 25 percent of those employed in the global maritime industry… They look up to Marcos to do something…’
President Marcos Jr. has vowed to exhaust all remedies available to bring home safely the 17 Filipino seafarers. He even cancelled an important trip to Dubai to address “important developments” in the hostage case. What exactly the Chief Executive did to push efforts for the release of the 17 Filipino seamen was not announced by the Palace. The President’s account in X (formerly Twitter) just said a delegation of Filipino diplomats was being formed to try to talk with the Houthis or their principals. Nothing was heard of about this move since November
Western leaders can only issue strongly-worded statements on the hijacking. A joint statement by the EU, the United States, NATO and their allied partners addressed the recent Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. It was signed by EU High Representative Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and representatives from Australia, the Bahamas, Japan, Liberia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, the US, and Yemen.
They condemned Houthi interference with navigational rights and freedoms in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula, particularly the Red Sea. They said the numerous attacks originating from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen, including the December 3 attacks on three commercial vessels in the Southern Red Sea connected to 14 nations, “threaten international commerce and maritime security.”
Another incident occurred, this time Filipino lives were lost. The Barbados-flagged bulk carrier M/V True Confidence was on its way from China to Jeddah and Aqaba, carrying a cargo of steel products and trucks, when it was attacked by Houthi rebels about 50 nautical miles southwest of Aden. At least 15 Filipino crew members were on board the merchant vessel. Two of them died while 13 others were injured and recovering in a hospital in Djibouti. A Vietnamese crewman also died.
Marcos said he joins global calls “for the end to this conflict and for full respect for the principle of freedom of navigation” as he emphasized the Philippines is firmly committed to the safety and welfare of the Filipino seafarers and overseas Filipino workers. Beyond issuing statements of condolences and directives for labor-related departments to help the victims, the President seemed clueless on what to do with these maritime security and labor problems.
Filipino seafarers comprise 25 percent of those employed in the global maritime industry, with almost half a million serving on cargo and cruise ships. They look up to Marcos to do something, anything, to at least try to resolve the problem.