DMW: Pinoy seafarer’s death will not be declared

MANILA, Philippines — The last Filipino crewmember of MV Tutor is still considered missing and will not be declared dead despite White House confirmation on Monday, according to the Department of Migrant Workers.

“We have to see him before we can con- clude what happened to him,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said yesterday in a radio interview.

Houthi rebels in the Red Sea attacked on June 12 the Greek-owned and Liberia- flagged MV Tutor, which carried a crew of 22 Filipinos.

Most of the crew arrived on June 17 in Ma- nila and underwent medical tests and were provided with psychological counseling.

The last crewmember is missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room reportedly filled with water and oil.

Cacdac declined to disclose details of the search operation for security reasons.

The missing Filipino seafarer will be brought home as soon as he is found, he maintained.

Existing regulations will be reviewed to further protect Filipino seafarers amid re- cent attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Cacdac said.

The Houthis have used drones and missiles to assault ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.