DFA seeks passage of Magna Carta for seafarers after deadly attack

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has expressed hope that the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers will be signed soon to enhance protection for Filipino mariners.

“We do believe that any law which will improve the lot of seafarers should be signed as soon as possible, but we fully respect the desire of the president and legislators to improve the bill as it is,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Worker Affairs Eduardo De Vega said in a briefing Tuesday. 

“Certainly, we’d like to see a law passed,” he added.

De Vega’s comments came after a question about the urgency of enacting the Magna Carta on Filipino Seafarers, following the deadly attack on a merchant vessel in the Red Sea that killed Filipino crew members. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not sign the Magna Carta, a priority legislation for his administration, in February. The Presidential Communications Office said the proposed measure was “still under review.”

The House of Representatives then passed a resolution recalling the enrolled copy of the bill. 

Filipino mariners comprise more than 25% of 1.5 million sea-based workers worldwide, the highest number from any country, according to the government

Eleven crew members of bulk carrier True Confidence, the ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, are set to return to the Philippines on Tuesday evening. 

Two Filipino seafarers were among those killed last week after a missile fired by the Iran-aligned militants struck the fuel tanks of the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned ship. Their remains have yet to be recovered. 

Two Filipino crew members were also seriously injured: one suffered severe facial burns and the other had his leg amputated. 

De Vega said the injured seafarers are expected to return to the country in the next few days via a special air ambulance. 

Houthi rebels have been targeting merchant vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden, a vital trade route, since November but last week’s deaths were the first reported civilian fatalities resulting from such an attack.

Marcos on Sunday called for an end to attacks on ships and respect for freedom of navigation following the incident. — Gaea Katreena Cabico