The Department of Migrant Workers Affairs (DMW) said on Saturday, Jan. 13, that the 18 Filipino seafarers currently under Iranian custody after their vessel was seized this week in the Gulf of Oman are in “safe condition.”

A map showing the region around the Gulf of Oman where the oil tanker St. Nikolas was seized by the Iranian Navy. (Kevin Trublet, Anibal Maiz Caceres / AFP)

DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan told a news forum in Quezon City that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is currently the lead agency in handling the situation, while the DMW is focused on coordinating with the families of the seafarers.

“Sa ngayon naman po, maganda naman po ang update dito, nasa maganda silang kalagayan at patuloy po ang DMW na makipag-ugnayan sa DFA para i-monitor iyong kanilang sitwasyon (Right now, we have a good update about this, they are in good condition and the DMW is continuously coordinating with the DFA to monitor their situation),” she said.

The official added that the Foreign Affairs department can be expected to give an update on the condition of the Filipino seafarers in the coming days.

The agency will also give details about the ongoing negotiation for their release.

Iranian state media reported that St. Nikolas tanker, which was carrying Iraqi crude and was bound for Turkey, was seized by Iran’s Navy in retaliation for the confiscation last year of the same vessel and its oil by the United States.

The seizure was in accordance with a court order, state-run IRNA news agency added.

Meanwhile, Caunan also shared that the 17 Filipino seafarers being held hostage by Houthi rebels of Yemen are also in good condition after their Galaxy Leader cargo ship was seized in the Red Sea last November 2023 amid the height of the Israel-Hamas war.

Houthi is an ally of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“Ang maganda pong nangyari dito doon sa pakikipag-ugnayan—I hope you understand na hindi ko lang po sana masabi iyong mga detalye but what I can say po is that we we’re informed that our seafarers are nasa magandang kondisyon po (The good thing with our coordination—I hope you understand that I cannot give details but what I can say is that we we’re informed that our seafarers are in good condition),” she said.

“Patuloy po iyong negosasyon at ang DFA po ang nasa lead po rito. Kami po ay umaasa na, very soon po ay may magandang development dito po na mangyari (Negotiations are continuing and the lead agency here is the DFA. We are hoping that very soon we will see a development).”