THE Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) called on shipping lines not to pass through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at this time, after several vessels were attacked by Houthi rebels.
During a press conference in Manila on July 4, MARINA administrator Sonia Malaluan said shipowners should always consider the safety of their crew.
“Hindi pwedeng tapatan ang lives of people. It might be costly to pass through another route, it may take an additional 22 days to go around, but still we are ensuring that we are not putting the lives of seafarers at risk,” she said.
Since last year, at least four vessels with Filipino crews have been attacked by the Houthis. Two died, one remains missing, while others are still held hostage by the rebel group. Other affected crew members have been safely repatriated.
Malaluan also reiterated her support for the Philippine government’s “right to refuse” policy so that Filipino seafarers could refuse to accept deployments to dangerous waters without legal repercussions from employers or ship owners.
She added that while it may take some time before affected and repatriated seafarers would want to work again, MARINA is prepared to reactivate their registration without any hassle should they request for it.
“I have given directives to regional offices to reissue all documents without any requirements, without any payment. So that when nakabawi na sila sa trauma and they are willing to go to sea again, they have the credentials to do so,” she said. (ABS-CBN News)
