Marcos orders swift aid to families of 2 Filipino seafarers killed in Hormuz attack

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has ordered concerned agencies to provide necessary assistance to the bereaved family members of the two Filipino seafarers who were killed when a Saudi Arabia-flagged oil tanker was recently hit by unknown projectiles as it was about to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said this in a press briefing on Thursday, extending the Marcos administration's condolences to the families and loved ones of the two seafarers.

"Unang-una po nakikiramay po ang Pangulo at ang administrasyon sa pamilya ng dalawang seafarers mula sa Cabuyao, Laguna at Daanbantayan, Cebu," Castro said.

(First of all, the President and the administration extend their condolences to the families of the two seafarers from Cabuyao, Laguna, and Daanbantayan, Cebu.)

"Nag-utos na po ang Pangulo agad-agad na tulungan ang mga pamilya ng dalawa nating kababayan na nasawi at ibigay lahat ng kailangan nila, pati ang benepisyo, compensation, insurance proceeds na naaangkop na dapat ibigay sa ating kababayan na nasawi. Hindi po pababayaan ng gobyerno, ng pamahalaan, ang pamilyang naiwan ng dalawang nating kababayan," she added.

(The President has immediately ordered that assistance be provided to the families of the two Filipinos who died, and that they be given everything they need, including the benefits, compensation, and insurance proceeds. The government will not neglect the families left behind by our two countrymen.)

According to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, 16 Filipino seafarers were aboard the tanker Sidr when the attack occurred, but only 14 of them survived as the oil tanker docked in Oman.

Based on initial information of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the tanker had come from the east coast of the United Arab Emirates and appeared to be heading toward the Strait of Hormuz when it was attacked off the coast of Oman. — VDV, GMA News