The government is doing its best to ensure the safety of 17 Filipinos who were among those held hostage in the Nov. 19 hijacking of a cargo vessel in the Red Sea, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Wednesday.

“The safety of our 17 Filipino seafarers is of utmost concern,” Marcos said in a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

“Our seafarers are not alone. The government is doing everything in our power to bring them safely home,” he said.

Marcos said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is in coordination with its counterparts in Iran, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for updates.

He added that the Department of Migrant Workers is in regular communication with the families of the hostages.

The DFA confirmed on Wednesday that the 17 Filipino seafarers were on board the cargo ship Galaxy Leader that was hijacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.

The 17 Filipino nations were among the 25 Galaxy Leader crewmembers who were taken hostage by the rebel group.

The other hostages are from Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Mexico.

Based on AP reports, Yemen’s Houthi rebels hijacked the vessel over its connection to Israel and that “all ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets.”

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has entered its sixth week since the Palestinian group launched a cross-border attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the latter responded with retaliatory strikes and ground assault in Gaza. (PNA)