Philippines confirms Filipino crew aboard ship attacked in Red Sea

Manila, June 14 (IANS) The Philippines on Friday said Filipino sailors were among the crew on board a commercial ship attacked by Houthi in the Red Sea on June 12.

"The Philippine government will take all necessary measures to secure the safety and well-being of the Filipino crew on board and ensure justice. We call on all UN member states to protect the human rights of seafarers," said the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The DFA did not say how many Filipinos were on board, but according to Xinhua news agency sources, over 20 Filipino crew members were working on the ship.

Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a boat-borne bomb attack on Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier MV Tutor in the Red Sea on Wednesday.

Filipino sailors have been killed or abducted in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The rebels are still holding a number of the kidnapped victims.

In April, the Philippines banned the deployment of Filipino seafarers on passenger and cruise ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden due to the risk of sailing in those regions.

The Philippines is among the biggest suppliers of maritime labour in the world, providing almost one-fifth of the 1.2 million seafarers worldwide, according to the International Labor Organisation.