Marcos Skips COP28, Vows To Work On Release Of 17 Filipino Seafarers Held By Houthis

Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced on Thursday that he will not attend the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), as he has to personally look into "important developments" regarding the 17 Filipino seafarers being held by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

"President Marcos extended his apologies to the Filipino community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after he opted to cancel his trip to Dubai to personally address important developments in the case of the 17 Filipino seafarers," Philippine Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a news release.

The news release came with a video message from Marcos himself explaining his absence from the conference. However, he did not go into detail about the developments regarding the matter.

The Philippine leader also "vowed to exhaust all remedies available" to return the seafarers whom Iran-backed Houthis held hostage when they seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea last month.

Earlier Thursday, Marcos announced that he will hold a meeting "to facilitate the dispatch of a high-level delegation to Tehran, Iran, with the aim of providing necessary assistance to our seafarers."

Marcos said last week that the "safety" of the seafarers being held by Houthis is "of utmost concern" for the Philippine government. He added that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is communicating with counterparts in Iran, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia to get updates about the ship's crew members.

The hijacked Japanese-operated cargo ship, which has been linked to an Israeli businessman, had 17 Philippine crew members onboard. The vessel was on its way to India when it was seized by Yemeni Houthi fighters who referred to it as an "Israeli ship."

Yahya Saree, Houthi military's spokesperson, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Houthi troops "deal with the ship's crew in accordance with the principle and values of our Islamic religion."

He further warned that any Israeli vessel "will become a legitimate target" of the Yemeni group.

Days after the Oct. 7 invasion by Hamas in Israel, Marcos told Israeli ambassador Ilan Fluss that the Philippines "will always stand with Israel against the inhumane terrorist attacks by Hamas," as per a PCO news release.

The Yemeni rebel group released footage purportedly showing the hijacking incident wherein Houthi combatants are seen being lowered into the ship from a helicopter. The Houthis soon hold the crew hostage as per the video. The later part of the video shows smaller boats moving around the huge ship.

Washington condemned the ship's seizure, calling the Houthis' actions a "flagrant violation of international law." U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing a day after the incident that the White House demands "the immediate release of the ship and its crew," adding that American officials will coordinate with its allies on how to move forward with the matter.

The Japanese government has also condemned the vessel's hijacking, saying it is directly reaching out to the Houthis to secure the crew's release.