Statement of Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on the hostage taking of 17 Filipino seafarers by Yemen's Houthi Rebels

Let's bring our kababayans home!

We offer our prayers for the safety of the 25 individuals, including 17 Filipino Seafarers, who were held hostage by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

We call on the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers, and other concerned agencies to exhaust all efforts to bring our kababayans home. The establishment of the DMW, which we principally sponsored and authored in the Senate, will provide a faster and more efficient service to our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Moreover, we ensured the funding of the AKSYON fund in the department to give immediate assistance to our OFWs in need.

Kailangan po mabilis ang pagtiyak sa kaligtasan ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino lalo na po ang mga OFWs na nakikipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa para mabigyan ng magandang buhay ang kanilang mga pamilya.