Justice for missing Filipino seafarers

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Thursday (September 3) that one of the 39 Filipino crew members of the missing Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel off the waters of Japan has already been rescued.

The DFA made the confirmation through the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka.

A Panamanian-registered freighter cargo ship carrying 43 crew, including 39 Filipinos and 5,800 cows, sank off the waters of Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

The agency also confirmed that they made a distress call on Wednesday (September 2) from Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture before it disappeared.

The DFA assured that the Consulate General in Osaka is closely monitoring the situation as search and rescue operations for the missing vessel continue. 

According to reports, MV Gulf Livestock 1 was reportedly ferrying cattle from Napier, New Zealand to Tangshan, China when it issued a distress signal at around 1:20 a.m. (12:20 a.m. in the Philippines) on Wednesday some 115 miles west of Oshima Island.

The Japanese Coast Guard has already deployed patrol boats and airplanes and is launching a second search and rescue mission prior to the expected incoming typhoon.

The DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Osaka are in close coordination with Korpil Ship Management and Manning Corp., the local manning agency, in ascertaining the condition of the Filipino seafarers.

Japanese Coast Guard operatives are conducting search and rescue operations most specifically in the area where typhoon “Maysak” (“Julian” in the Philippines) packed with 130 mph winds, was last reported.  

The Gulf Livestock 1 was the same ship assisted by the Philippine Navy 1 recently when it lost propulsion off Balut Island in Davao Occidental.

The DFA said the Japanese Coast Guard already deployed patrol boats and airplanes to conduct the search for the missing ship.

By this writting the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Osaka is also coordinating with local manning agency, Korphil Ship Management and Manning Corp. in ascertaining the condition of the Filipino seafarers.