MANILA — Fourteen Filipino seafarers survived an attack on a Saudi-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and safely returned to Manila on Tuesday night, as government authorities launched an investigation into potential deployment violations by their manning agency.
The crew members, who were aboard the MT Sidr when it was struck on August 31, were met at the airport by officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
“Ang importante sa atin ay ‘yung kanilang pag-reunite sa kanilang mga pamilya at siguraduhin na itong mga susunod na araw, meron silang makakausap, meron silang medical intervention, psychosocial counseling,” OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac noted that nearly 2,000 Filipino seafarers have safely navigated out of the high-risk waterway amid heightened regional tensions, though the strike on the MT Sidr caught the vessel off guard.
“Alam natin na halos dalawang libong tripulanteng Pilipino na ang naka-exit sa Strait of Hormuz. At siguro, ‘yan ang kanilang sinandalan na inaasahan na makakalabas sila ng ligtas. However, hindi inaasahan itong atake sa kanilang barko,” Cacdac said.
Cacdac confirmed that the DMW will investigate whether the crew’s manning agency, Jebsen PTC, violated policies that allow seafarers to refuse deployment to designated high-risk zones and war-like areas. “We will look into whether the manning agency complied with the regulations,” he said, warning that administrative penalties await any firm found non-compliant.
The probe follows claims from the family of 28-year-old victim Rodrigo “Rod” Favis, one of two Filipino crew members killed in the attack. According to Favis’s family, his original contract specified a European route, and he was informed that the vessel was heading to the Strait of Hormuz only after he had boarded.
The oil tanker, owned by Saudi shipping operator Bahri, was en route from the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates toward the Strait of Hormuz when it was struck by “unknown projectiles” off Oman, triggering a onboard fire.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed government agencies to extend full assistance and support to the families of the two deceased seafarers. The DMW, alongside Jebsen PTC and shipowner Bahri, is currently finalizing arrangements to repatriate the victims’ remains within the week.