All 12 Filipino seafarers aboard a vessel struck near the waters of Iraq are safe, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed on Tuesday. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the ship was attacked about three days ago while traveling near an Iraqi port. 'Thank God, the twelve Filipino crew members are safe in the attack off the waters of Iraq,' Cacdac said during a press briefing. Reports indicated that a fuel tanker in Iraqi waters was targeted by two Iranian boats on March 13, resulting in the death of one of the 28 crew members on board. Despite the incident, all Filipino crew members in the affected vessel were unharmed. Cacdac added that more than 7,300 Filipino seafarers operating in high-risk areas—including the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman—have so far been accounted for and confirmed safe. Earlier incidents in the region also involved ships carrying Filipino crew members that were attacked but resulted in no Filipino casualties. However, authorities noted that one Filipino seafarer remains missing following a separate tugboat attack in the Strait of Hormuz, with search and rescue operations still ongoing. The DMW reiterated that Filipino seafarers have the right to refuse deployment in designated 'war-risk zones' amid escalating tensions in the region.
