2 remaining Filipinos in missile-hit ship back in PH

The two remaining Filipino crew members of MV True Confidence, the merchant ship attacked by Houthi rebels while plying the Gulf of Aden on March 6, returned to the Philippines on Thursday morning.

"They arrived via a chartered medical evacuation flight at 6:45 this morning, 14 March 2024,” the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said in a statement.

The two suffered serious injuries in the missile attack but they were cleared "fit for travel" by medical authorities in Djibouti on Wednesday, according to the DMW.

The two were taken to a hospital where they have been reunited with their families and will continue their recovery. They requested privacy, according to the DMW.

On Tuesday, a first batch of 11 Filipino crew members of MV True Confidence also arrived in the country. One of them had minor injuries.

Two Filipinos were killed and three were severely injured in the attack. 

The remains of the two Filipino seafarers are expected to be retrieved soon as their ship reaches Oman, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday. 

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the bodies were still onboard the MV True Confidence, which was being towed to a port in Oman.

The US Central Command said the Houthis attacked the Greek-owned and Barbados-flagged merchant ship and killed three seafarers onboard including the two Filipinos, Reuters reported.

There were 20 crew and three armed guards on the ship, composed of 15 Filipinos, four Vietnamese, two Sri Lankans, an Indian and a Nepali national, according to the operators. Reuters earlier reported that India's navy has evacuated all 20 crew from the True Confidence.

Houthis have launched a campaign of attacks on vessels in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes since November in solidarity with the Palestinians during Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News