By Marita Moaje
MANILA – Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac went to Djibouti to personally oversee the repatriation of the remains of the Filipino seafarer who died from critical injuries sustained during a Houthi attack on Dutch cargo vessel MV Minervagracht while sailing the Gulf of Aden on Sept. 29.
In a news release on Wednesday, the Department of Migrant Workers said Cacdac travelled to Djibouti with the wife and sister of the slain seafarer.
“We are here to ensure that our kababayan is brought home with the dignity he deserves, and that his family, along with his fellow seafarers, receive the care and support they need,” Cacdac said.
While in Djibouti, Cacdac will also visit the other Filipino crew member of MV Minervagracht, who is recovering in a hospital after he got injured during the attack.
Cacdac is working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through the Philippine Embassy, as well as with the shipowner Spliethoff, to ensure a dignified and timely repatriation of the remains to the Philippines.
Prior to his departure, Cacdac vowed continued government assistance to the families of the deceased and injured seafarers, as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
He said the DMW would ensure the delivery of all benefits and entitlements due to the seafarer under his employment contract, including health, financial, livelihood, and psychosocial support for his family.
MV Minervagracht, with 19 crew members onboard, 12 of whom are Filipinos, was struck with an unidentified explosive while passing the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen’s Houthi militants earlier claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the cargo vessel violated the “entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine.”
On Oct. 4, 10 crew members of the Dutch cargo ship safely arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City, and received financial assistance from the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. (PNA)
