President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thanked the government of Djibouti for assisting Filipino seafarers impacted by the Houthi missile attack on M/V True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden last March, Malacañang said Thursday.
Marcos said this as he received the credentials of Republic of Djibouti ambassador Ibrahim Bileh Doualeh and several other envoys in Malacañang Palace earlier this week.
“Thanks for all the help that you have given to the Filipino seafarers in times of great need. We hope to continue this relationship," Marcos told Doualeh.
"I hope the amity between our two countries will grow and [bring us closer],” Marcos added.
The Houthi rebels of Yemen fired an anti-ship missile at the cargo vessel M/V True Confidence last 6 March, while transiting the Gulf of Aden on route from China to Jeddah and Aqaba.
Of the three crew members who died, two were Filipino.
Thirteen Filipinos of the remaining crew members were saved by the Indian Navy and transported to a hospital in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, where they were treated.
Every Filipino mariner has returned home and received support from the Philippine government.
Security concerns