Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chairman Senator Erwin Tulfo is set to meet with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) this week to address the safety of approximately 24 Filipino seafarers currently stationed on Russian vessels.
The urgency of the meeting follows reports that these seafarers may be at risk of being caught in the crossfire of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“We want to determine the specific steps the DFA and DMW are taking to ensure the safety and security of these seafarers,” Tulfo stated.
The data regarding the number of Filipino seamen was shared by Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliia Fediv during a courtesy call with the Senator last week.
Senator Tulfo emphasized the need to verify the employment status of the affected Filipinos.
“I want the DMW to find out if these seamen were direct hires or if they were deployed through local manning agencies,” the lawmaker said.
He further clarified the legal implications of their employment: “If they were deployed through a manning agency, that company holds responsibility for their welfare should anything happen to them. However, if they were direct hires, we can appeal for them to return home immediately, as their lives are in grave danger.”
During the same diplomatic visit, Senator Tulfo also urged Ambassador Fediv to allow Raymon Santos Gumangan, a Filipino prisoner of war (POW) in Ukraine, to communicate with his family in the Philippines, even if only via telephone.
Gumangan was reportedly captured by Ukrainian forces while serving under the Russian military. This is despite accounts from his family that he had originally secured employment as a ‘logistics truck driver’ through an online job portal, only to find himself entangled in the conflict upon arrival.
Ambassador Fediv committed to facilitating a way for Gumangan to reach his family.
The Ukrainian envoy also assured the Senator that Gumangan is being treated humanely in accordance with the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
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