THE last three Filipino crew members of the Iran-seized MV Epaminondas returned to the country on Monday, completing the repatriation of all 10 Filipinos aboard the Liberia-flagged container vessel nearly three months after it was caught in a security incident in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Department of Migrant Workers, in a social media post, said the three arrived aboard a Qatar Airways flight that landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
“Their safe return was made possible through the close coordination of the shipowner, the agency, and the DMW,” it said.
They were welcomed by their families, officials of the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and representatives of their licensed manning agency.
The DMW said the three seafarers received financial and medical assistance from the DMW and OWWA upon arrival, while their agency provided temporary hotel accommodation.
“They will also undergo further medical and psychosocial assessments to help support their recovery, well-being, and reintegration after their difficult experience,” it added.
The DMW said the group was the last Filipino crew members to receive clearance from Iranian military authorities to leave the vessel, with replacement crew members from Russia, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine taking over operations aboard the ship.
MV Epaminondas was involved in a security incident on April 22 while attempting to exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
The first seven Filipino crew members of the Liberian-flagged vessel had already been repatriated in three separate batches in June.
