China, Korea, Taiwan vow help in search for 36 missing Filipino crewmen

Published September 23, 2020 4:26pm By JOVILAND RITA, GMA News Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday said China, Korea, and Taiwan are helping in the search and rescue operations of 36 still missing Filipino seafarers of the sunken Gulf Livestock 1. In a press conference, Bello said that the missing seafarers might have been drifted to the waters of the three countries, which are near the site of the incident. “I sent letters to embassies of Korea, China, and Taiwan. Luckily, they responded. And they said, on their own, even before receiving the letter, they are helping the search and rescue operation,” he said. “Yung mga relatives ng 36 are still clinging to the hope na buhay pa sila kasi wala pang nakikitang (katawan),” he added. Bello said the two survivors, the family of the 36 still missing seafarers, and the manning agency will meet with him on Wednesday afternoon to discuss some concerns. “They would like to have some few moments with them. Pumayag naman sila. They are seeing them this afternoon,” Bello said. Gulf Livestock 1 carrying 43 crew and about 6,000 cows sank at sea after transmitting a distress signal during a typhoon off Japan, according to a survivor rescued by the country's coast guard. The crew of 43 was composed of 39 people from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia, the coastguard said. Gulf Livestock 1 issued a distress call in the early hours of Wednesday from a position 185 kilometres (115 miles) west of Japan's Amami Oshima island. Two Filipinos survived, while one died.—LDF, GMA News