Some of the Filipino seafarers who recently arrived in the Philippines after their civilian vessel was struck by a Russian missile in the Black Sea shared their ordeal and are seeking government help.
Fourteen Filipino seafarers on board their ship struck by a Russian missile in the Black Sea arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. (ANC screenshot)

Arnel Lopez, the ship’s captain, said he sustained injuries and remembered how a crew member perished during the incident when the vessel was struck by a Russian missile in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Pivdennyi last month.

“‘Yung piloto po, inassist-an ako. Tapos may biglang sumabog. Namatay po siya, tinamaan po siya (I was assisting the pilot then suddenly something exploded. He died),” he told ABS-CBN News.

The Filipino captain shared about getting scared because of what happened.

“Natakot po siyempre. Sa mukha po (nagkasugat) gawa po ng mga nabasag na bubog. Tapos medyo masakit po ‘yung likod ko, tapos medyo nabingi po ako (We were so afraid. My face was wounded by shattered glass. My back also hurts until now. And sometimes I feel my ears are going deaf),” he added.

Fourteen of the 25 Filipino seafarers arrived in Manila on Saturday, Dec. 2, with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) welcoming them and providing medical assessments and financial assistance.

However, Jovanny Perez, the ship’s second officer, still appealed for government aid as he talked about his trauma from the ordeal.

“Panawagan na lang po namin na makahingi kami ng konting tulong po sa inyo kasi po marami po sa amin is under contract pa po. And then, ‘yung mga papasok pa po na mga seafarer na Pilipino, as much as possible, kung pupwede rin po maiwasan na bumiyahe sa ganitong war zone area (We are calling on the government to give us aid because most of us are still under contract. For Filipino seafarers, as much as possible, I urge you to refrain from sailing in war zone areas.),” he said.

Perez recalled that he was near the area of the incident.

“Madalas napapanaginipan ko ‘yun. Iba-iba po ‘yung panaginip pero pare-parehas na may missile na tumatama sa barko namin (I still dream about it frequently. My dreams are different every night but they have a common element, a missile hitting our ship.),” he added.

While the war between Russia and Ukraine has dragged since 2014, the armed conflict escalated in February 2022 when Russian invaded Ukraine and the latter resisted.

Since then, heavy casualties have been reported from both sides by open sources and the United States, while millions have also reportedly been displaced.