Senator Raffy Tulfo has said on Wednesday, April 17 that he is in close coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) regarding the safe return of the four Filipino seafarers aboard the Portuguese vessel MSC Aries.

Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, confirmed that DFA officials have met with the Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Yousef Esmaeil Zadeh, who affirmed that the four seafarers will soon be repatriated.

“Patuloy akong nakamonitor at nakikipagugnayan sa DFA at DMW para masigurong makakauwi ng ligtas sa bansa ang mga kababayan nating marino (I am continuously monitoring and coordinating with the DFA and DMW to ensure that the four seafarers will get home safe),” he said.

He added: “Sa kasalukuyan ay in close contact na ang DFA at DMW sa pamilya ng mga marino at sa manning agency. Ayon sa DMW, inaasahang magsusumite agad ang manning agency na MSC Crewing Services Philippines, Inc. na nag-recruit sa mga marino ng Official Report sa nangyari (Currently, DFA and DMW are in close contact with the family of the seafarers and their manning agency. According to DMW, the manning agency MSC Crewing Services Philippines, Inc. is expected to submit an official report on the situation).

“Bilang SOP kasi para sa mga ganitong insidente, responsibilidad ng manning agency alinsunod sa batas na magsumite ng opisyal na ulat sa loob ng 5 araw ukol sa pangyayari (As an SOP for this type of incident, it's the responsibility of the manning agency under the law to submit an official report in five days regarding the incident),” Tulfo said.

DMW also confirmed that the four seafarers were already able to talk to their respective families here in the country.

Meanwhile, DMW OIC Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said that they are making necessary representations with the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) to classify the Straight of Hormuz located in the waters of Iran and Oman as a “high-risk area” to strictly monitor every passing ship in the area.

The IBF is the global forum of International Transport Workers Federations and international maritime employers that promotes policies for the global safety and welfare of seafarers.

Aside from monitoring the case, Tulfo will give financial assistance to the seafarers and their families.

He stressed that situations like this is a reminder that the swift passage into law of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is of utmost importance.

“Ang Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers ang magbibigay ng karagdagang proteksyon sa mga marinong Pinoy, tulad ng karapatan sa ligtas na paglalayag sa mga high-risk area, agarang tulong sa panahon ng trahedya dulot ng terorismo at karapatan ng kanilang pamilya na mabigyan ng wasto at napapanahong impormasyon tungkol sa kanilang estado, lalo na pag sila’y nalalagay sa alanganing sitwasyon (The Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers gives additional protection to Filipino seafarers, like the right to sail in a high-risk area, immediate aid in time of tragedies such sa from terrorism and their families' right to given ample and timely information of their status, especially if they are in a difficult position),” he said.

On April 13, the MSC Aries was seized for apparently “violating maritime laws” and claimed that it was “linked to Israel.”

The cargo vessel was seized in the Strait of Hormuz days after Iran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus last April 1.