Senator Erwin Tulfo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is seeking clarification from the Iranian government following a drone attack on a Maltese-flagged container ship carrying 24 Filipino seafarers on May 5.
In a radio interview, Tulfo expressed concern over the incident, which left seven crew members injured—three of them in critical condition. The attack is suspected to have originated from Iran.
“We want to understand why Iran attacked this vessel.”
“We want to understand why Iran attacked this vessel, considering we reached an understanding with them last month allowing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” the legislator stated.
“I will ask DFA Secretary Tess Lazaro to ask the Iranian Embassy if the promise of safe passage for Filipinos in Strait of Hormuz is still valid,” the lawmaker added.
“We are thankful to the Republic of Iran because the said agreement, sealed last month, paved the way for over 1,000 Filipino seafarers to safely pass through the said waterway.”
Citing the said safe passage agreement, the senator noted, “We are thankful to the Republic of Iran because the said agreement, sealed last month, paved the way for over 1,000 Filipino seafarers to safely pass through the said waterway.”
Because of the May 5 incident, he pointed out that many Filipino seafarers are still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
Lazaro committed to meeting with Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yousef Esmaeilzadeh. The primary agenda is to determine whether the “safe passage” agreement is still active.
“We need a clear answer from the Iranian government on whether it is still safe for Filipino seamen to navigate the Strait of Hormuz. This is vital so we can properly advise our maritime workers,” Tulfo explained.
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chairman concluded by reiterating his call for all parties involved in the Middle East conflict to return to negotiations and prioritize regional peace.
