The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is weighing legal action against the licensed manning agency of the nine Filipino seafarers aboard the Portuguese-flagged MV Solong.

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said on Tuesday that there were reports of negligence on the part of the vessel’s captains.

“We’re carefully looking into this, and legal action will definitely be forthcoming if our lawyers find grounds to file a case,” Cacdac said.

Meanwhile, eight of the Filipino seafarers who were rescued and accommodated in a hotel in Grimsby, London, are expected to return to the Philippines this week.

The MV Solong collided with the US-flagged chemical tanker Sterna on 10 March. According to DMW, the missing seafarer was last seen on the bow of the vessel, the area that caught fire after it rammed the other vessel.

Cacdac said he’s in contact with the family of the missing Filipino seafarer. The agency has not provided further updates regarding the search following the family’s request for anonymity and privacy.