𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆

After months of uncertainty and fear, ten crew members of the cargo ship Eternity C—including the nine Filipino seafarers earlier confirmed held by Yemen’s Houthis rebels—have finally been released and flown out of Sanaa, Yemen.

Their release was facilitated through Omani mediation, with an aircraft transporting the crew from the rebel-held capital to Muscat, where Omani and Philippine officials received them, footage from Oman TV confirmed.

The seafarers were originally taken after the Eternity C was sunk in July in the Red Sea—one of two vessels struck in a series of Houthis attacks on maritime traffic they linked to Israel during the height of the Gaza conflict.

A Houthis security source said the exchange was part of a broader repatriation agreement, where Yemenis stranded and wounded abroad were returned to Sanaa, while the Eternity C crew was handed over to Oman.

The rebels previously released footage claiming they had “rescued” the ship’s crew after the attack, though the Filipinos had remained effectively detained for months. Philippine agencies—including the DFA and DMW—had confirmed negotiations for their release earlier this week.

For now, the priority shifts to medical checks, debriefing, and reunification with their families. As has been the norm in crisis situations involving overseas Filipino workers, both Philippine and Omani officials have taken the lead in ensuring the crew’s safe repatriation.

Their return marks the end of one ordeal, but it also serves as a reminder of the volatile risks Filipino seafarers face on global waters—especially in conflict zones where geopolitical disputes quickly become life-threatening.

Image from INQUIRER / Agence France-Presse