By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Good luck must be on the side of 15 Filipino seafarers who have been reported safe following a drone attack near the Red Sea on Friday, December 15, although 17 are still held hostage by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.

It was gathered that the Houthis have been targeting vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in a show of support for Palestinians as Israel intensifies its attacks on Gaza.

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia.

On Saturday, December 16, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac confirmed the drone attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The attack on Friday, December 15, was launched on the Liberian-flagged, German-owned Al Jasrah vessel as it was crossing the Bal al Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

A United States defense official said the projectile caused a fire but did not result in injuries.

Citing the ship’s manning agency and its shipping company, Cacdac said all members of the crew, which included 15 Filipinos, were safe and accounted for.

He issued instructions to the department’s sea-based operations units to continuously monitor the situation, and work closely with the seafarers’ employers to ensure their safety.

In a statement, the Houthis admitted that they fired missiles at two ships – the MSC Alanya, and MSC Palatium III but did not mention the Al Jasrah.

Meanwhile, 17 Pinoy seafarers remained captive by the Houthi rebels.

To recall, on November 22, 17 Filipino seafarers were taken hostage by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

The Philippines has been working towards the release of the 17 hostages and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had to cancel his attendance at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).

Marcos Jr. said he needed to convene a meeting to facilitate the dispatch of a high-level delegation to Tehran, Iran, to help the seafarers.

“You know that there are things that need my attention, one of which is the plight of our countrymen, our fellow Filipinos who were taken hostage. Seventeen of them were taken hostage and we are doing all we can to bring them home,” the President said in a brief video message for the Filipino community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Marcos Jr. extended his apologies for canceling his trip to Dubai and his attendance at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

(ai/mnm)