Manila Bulletin
PH uses 'quiet diplomacy' for release of seafarers held hostage
The Philippine government is employing "quiet diplomacy" and collaborating with international partners for the release of 17 Filipino seafarers held hostage by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea since November 22.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega confirmed on Saturday, December 9, that the seafarers are being allowed to contact their families to assure them of their safety.
De Vega expressed hope for their release before Christmas and noted the incident is feared to be related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
The cargo ship had 25 crew members in total, including nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Mexico, and Romania.
Topics in this story
Explore more stories about these topics.
🤖
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.
News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
