DMW: 1 Filipino on board Houthi-hit ship still missing

One of the 22 Filipino seafarers on board the Houthi-hit MV Tutor is still missing, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Friday.

In a press conference, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said the Greek-owned and Liberia-flagged ship is still at sea after sustaining damage from a double missing attack by the Iran-allied militants as it was traversing the Red Sea on 12 June.

"Right now we are still on the process of trying to account for the one particular seafarer on the ship and we are praying that we could find him," Cacdac said.

"Rest assured all of the kins of the seafarers are conducted," he added.

A rescue mission, according to Cacdac, is already being arranged.

Cacdac said the DMW is also verifying whether there are Filipinos on board another ship targeted by Houthis on Thursday, 13 June.

"So far, hindi namin ma-trace sa (we could trace it in our records) record but we will confirm this further," he added.

The other ship, MV Verbena, was also attacked by Houthi rebels, severely injuring one of the crew. The bulk cargo ship was traversing the Gulf of Aden.

The Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, and Polish-operated ship, reported damage and subsequent fires on board.

Before the incident, the Department of Migrant Workers had already barred Filipino seafarers from boarding vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden had been designated "high-risk areas" and "war-like zones" by the International Transport Workers' Federation and the International Bargaining Forum.

The Houthis have been attacking international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas, in which at least 37,232 people have been killed.