MANILA – Four Filipino seafarers are among those onboard a container vessel seized near the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian authorities, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Sunday.
According to DMW, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has already directed them to get in touch with the relatives of the four Filipinos onboard the Portuguese container ship MSC Aries.
“Upon directive of the President, we are in touch with the families of our dear seafarers and have assured them of full government support and assistance,” DMW said in a statement.
“We are also in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the licensed manning agency, ship manager and operator to ensure the safety and well-being as well as work on the release of our seafarers,” it added.
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps helicopter boarded the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries and took it into Iranian waters on Saturday (Philippine time), Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
MSC, which operates the container vessel Aries, confirmed Iran had seized the ship and said it was working with the relevant authorities for its safe return and the wellbeing of its 25 crew.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Indian Ocean and, according to the US Energy Information Administration, more than a fifth of annual global oil consumption passes through it each year./PN
