Over 24 Pinoy seafarers on Russian vessels, at risk due to war —Erwin Tulfo

Over 24 Filipino seafarers assigned to Russian vessels could be exposed to danger due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Senator Erwin Tulfo said Sunday.

In a statement, Tulfo said he is set to meet officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) this week to learn about their efforts to ensure the safety and security of seafarers.
 
“We want to determine the specific steps the DFA and DMW are taking to ensure the safety and security of these seafarers,” said Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

“I want the DMW to find out if these seamen were direct hires or if they were deployed through local manning agencies,” he added.

The report concerning the Filipino seafarers was conveyed by Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliia Fediv during a courtesy call last week.

Tulfo said it is a company’s responsibility if the Filipino seafarers were employed through a manning agency, but if they were hired directly, the Philippine government can request their immediate return.

The senator also urged Fediv to allow Filipino war prisoner Raymon Santos Gumangan to communicate with his family in the Philippines, even through a telephone.

A Facebook page post of a Ukrainian government project claimed that Gumangan was a mercenary recruited by Russians for a high-paying job in their country.

In the video, Gumangan said he was recruited for a logistics role, but was assigned a different job upon arriving in Russia.

Fediv has committed to facilitating Gumangan’s contact with his family and said that he is treated humanely, in accordance with the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News