ANY of the three branches of government — the executive, legislative, or judiciary — resorts to the use of groupings of selected officials with various expertise alternatively called “technical working group” or whole-of-government committee in solving tough problems.
The rationale is that the decision-maker, who is most often the chief of the department, needs important and valuable inputs aside from knowing all the possible options in tackling the situation. With several analytic minds and a vast trove of practical experience backing an action, the chief may just make a well-thought-of informed decision.
It is in pursuance of the whole-of-government approach as directed by President Bongbong Marcos last Friday that officials from several government swiftly made a “bolt in” to effect a safe and quick rescue of the 22 Filipino seafarers aboard the MV Tutor which was attacked by Houthi rebels while sailing in the Red Sea.
‘… the collaborative efforts of various government agencies and their foreign counterparts have resulted in the quick rescue of 21 out of 22 Filipino seafarers.’
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac announced on Saturday that in one of the fastest rescue operations ever in the Red Sea, US Navy personnel snatched to safety 21 Filipino seafarers aboard the ill-fated MV Tutor. One Filipino seaman is still missing, it was reported.
The rescued ship workers were ferried by an American ship to the Port of Manama in Bahrain.
Cacdac said the team of the Department of Migrant Workers, Migrant Workers Office, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), under the ‘One-Country Team Approach’ led by the Philippine ambassador in Bahrain, all did their part in completing the successful rescue.
He noted that the collaborative efforts of various government agencies and their foreign counterparts have resulted in the quick rescue of 21 out of 22 Filipino seafarers. He said the rescue came in less than 24 hours after President Marcos ordered to have them moved to safety.
Since nobody can argue against success, those behind the successful rescue of 21 Filipino seafarers can always claim it was primarily because of Bongbong Marcos’ whole-of-government initiative.
Thus, the authorities are encouraged once more to try the same tack in effecting the release of 17 more Filipino seafarers captured by Houthi rebels last year.
“The ongoing effort to secure their release being undertaken through the DFA — the DFA is communicating with foreign governments who have communication lines with Houthi rebels with the objective of securing the release of our seafarers and bringing them home safely,” Cacdac said.
At least 17 Filipino seafarers were affected when their vessel Galaxy Leader was attacked by the rebel group.
As to the Filipino seafarers aboard True Confidence, which was also attacked by the rebels, Cacdac said 11 of them have come home safely. Two Filipinos, however, were killed during the attack.
Cacdac reported that foreign experts have prepared the remains of the two fatalities while families of the victims were informed about the development before their remains are repatriated.
It seems that the attacks against commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea will continue indefinitely as long as the Israeli-Hamas war rages in Gaza.
While the Philippines has a small voice to even influence the geopolitics in the Middle East and West Asia, at least the Marcos administration is doing all it can to cushion the impact on our maritime sector which is a big contributor to the economy.
