Filipino seafarers are urged to exercise their right to refuse sailing in the Red Sea. The developments in the Middle East prompted the Philippine government to make such a recommendation.
It began when Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthi rebels started taking hostage crew members of the ships traversing the Red Sea reportedly in response to Israel’s war on Gaza.
In the last week of November 2023, or over a month after Israel retaliated to Hamas' deadly attack, Houthis took hostage 23 members of an NYK Line-operated cargo ship in the waters—the first of its many attacks that already involved parties outside of the Israel-Hamas war. Seventeen of them were Filipinos.
Houthis believed the cargo was being operated by an Israeli company, although it was really a Japanese one, said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Red Sea lies between the Asian countries of Israel, Saudi, and Yemen in the East and the African countries of Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti in the West.
It serves as an important waterway for trade and shortens the travel time between Asia and Europe.
Every month since November, Houthis have been launching missiles and other forms of attacks not only on Israel’s, the US’, and other allied countries’ vessels in the area.
In March, two of the 15 Filipinos onboard Barbados-flagged bulk carrier M/V True Confidence were killed when Houthis attacked their ship with a missile. Two more Filipinos were severely injured.
While on Aug. 21, Houthis launched its latest attack on vessels traversing the waterway, with MT Sounion, a Greek crude oil tanker as its latest victim in the waters off the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The ship had been hit with missiles and was left adrift. A total of 23 Filipino seafarers were onboard and were eventually rescued by the French Navy.
"This situation has worsened due in part to the conflict escalation in the Red Sea that poses a clear and present danger to all Filipino seafarers working in the area," the DFA said.
The Houthi rebels are part of the Houthi movement that emerged in Iran. It is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that revolted against Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, due to alleged corruption.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, a non-partisan think tank, Houthis aligned with Iran in 2009 due to Tehran's arms supply support.
Both Iran and Houthi rebels are sympathizers of the Palestinian people, who are supposedly being displaced from their land and facing oppression from Israel.
Houthis’ recent attack on ships traversing the Red Sea prompted the Philippine government to call on Filipino seafarers to exercise their right to refuse sailing.
The International Bargaining Forum (IBF) Warlike Operations Area Committee (WOAC) agreed to include the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, just located in the south, in its list of High-Risk Areas (HRAs).
“The decision to include seafarers’ right to refuse to sail was not a step taken lightly as this could negatively impact global trade, but the safety of the seafarers is paramount,” an IBF joint statement read.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Filipino seafarers onboard ships navigating in waters under HRAs would have the right to refuse sailing, with repatriation at the company’s cost and compensation equal to two months basic wage.
They will also be entitled to a bonus equal to the basic wage, payable for five days minimum plus per day, if longer; double compensation in case of death and disability; and, a mandatory requirement to increase security arrangements.