SEN. Erwin Tulfo has raised the need to ensure the safety of about 24 Filipino seafarers who might get caught in the middle of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The senator on Sunday expressed concern for the safety and welfare of the Filipino seafarers "currently stationed on Russian vessels."
According to the senator, he is scheduled to meet this week with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to address the problem.
“We want to determine the specific steps the DFA and DMW are taking to ensure the safety and security of the seafarers,” Tulfo said in a statement.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv shared information on the plight of the Filipino seamen during a courtesy call on Senator Tulfo last week.
Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, underscored the need to verify the employment status of the affected Filipinos.
“I want the DMW to find out if these seamen were direct hires or if they were deployed through local manning agencies,” he said. “If they were deployed through a manning agency, that company holds responsibility for their welfare should anything happen to them." However, "if they were direct hires, we can appeal for them to return home immediately, as their lives are in grave danger,” he added.
